Unlearning the Narrative: Indigenous Histories in Oklahoma Education

Author: Christine E. Sleeter

Text: "The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies"

Reflection

Map showing the routes of the Trail of Tears, highlighting the forced relocation of Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, and Seminole nations to present-day Oklahoma.

Something I've been thinking about since reading Sleeter's piece is how Indigenous history was presented in my high school state history course. Oklahoma has deep ties to Indigenous nations, and the subject was approached from a very limited perspective. Sleeter argues that ethnic studies improves student learning and engagement because it centers histories that are usually left out, validates students' identities, and teaches critical thinking about systems of power. Curriculum is never neutral; the content schools choose to teach shows whose knowledge counts.

Growing up in Oklahoma, the Trail of Tears was treated as a one-time tragic event of the past. In reality, it shaped the entire makeup of Oklahoma today. We learned about the Indian Removal Act – federal perspective and how it "relocated" the Five Tribes: Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, and Seminole. But Indigenous perspectives tell a very different story of forced displacement, death, and resilience. The curriculum included very limited details about the Indigenous experience, no tribal perspective, and nothing about the strong Indigenous presence in Oklahoma today – 39 federally recognized tribes running governments, schools, and cultural programs. Indigenous students make up about 15% of the public school population in Oklahoma (Oklahoma Indian Education Advisory Council), yet their histories and perspectives are minimized or absent in the classroom. We were taught a tragic story: Indigenous people were sent off to die in no man's land. And that's where the story ended.

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Map showing the Unassigned Lands prior to the Oklahoma Land Run, outlining the territory that was made claimable to settlers.

These two events — removal and land redistribution — are deeply connected, though often taught as separate moments. Just a few decades later, the Land Run of 1889 was celebrated as a moment of opportunity, while Indigenous voices argue it should not be glorified without context (Cherokee Nation perspective), because the land being claimed was made "available" only after forced removal.

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Map of the Unassigned Lands opened for settlement in the 1889 Oklahoma Land Run.

Almost nothing in the curriculum connected the two events, even though they're directly linked: removal = tragedy, land rush = celebration. The narrative leaves out the ongoing presence and sovereignty of the nations whose lands were claimed.

I agree with Sleeter and wish Indigenous perspectives had been included in my curriculum. If schools centered Indigenous voices, the story wouldn't end with tragedy. Instead, we'd see a story of survival, sovereignty, and how tribal nations continue to shape Oklahoma today.

Question for the Class:

Sleeter argues that ethnic studies helps students see multiple perspectives and think critically about history. Looking back on your own schooling, what are some events or stories that were told from only one perspective? What might we be missing when history is framed as a series of "triumphs" and "tragedies" without the voices of those most affected?