Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has launched an innovative middle school curriculum framework focused on Anishinaabe science and food sovereignty. Authored by Aamookwe Amy McCoy, the BMCC Anishinaabe science and food sovereignty educator, the curriculum aims to integrate Indigenous knowledge into education.
The Anishinaabe, culturally linked Indigenous communities in the Great Lakes region, have a rich heritage rooted in Anishinaabemowin, a language spoken across several states and provinces. As a Tribal College and a 1994 Land Grant Institution, BMCC is pivotal in supporting Tribal Nations, individuals, and organizations across Michigan.
In an area without FFA programs or agriculture educators in K-12 schools and faced with limited resources, BMCC recognized a significant opportunity to integrate Indigenous knowledge. In 2019, Steve Yanni and BMCC initiated the project with a $199,987 NCR-SARE Research and Education grant. McCoy joined the initiative in 2021 to create the Indigenous scientific-thought-based curriculum framework. The curriculum is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences centered around Anishinaabe science and food sovereignty principles.
Eastern Upper Michigan, with a significant Native American middle school population of 36%, was chosen as a key area for the curriculum’s implementation. Specifically, the Ojibwe Charter School in Bay Mills and the Bahweting School of the Sault Tribe were identified as key institutions to advance this curriculum through experiential learning at a Food Sovereignty Middle School Career Fair in Fall 2023.
Designing an Anishinaabe Curriculum
McCoy created Anishinaabe Nandagikenjigewin Miinawaa Eshandizoyang [Science as we Come to Know our Relatives and How We Feed Ourselves], a K-12 curriculum rooted in Anishinaabe science and philosophy.
The innovative curriculum is designed to evolve dynamically, reflecting an ongoing journey of cultural reconnection with “more than human relatives” through Anishinaabe ways of knowing and being. McCoy highlighted the transformative impact of embracing Anishinaabe teachings and fostering intergenerational relationships, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all beings within creation.
“While initially aimed at middle school-aged children through the SARE grant, the curriculum framework grounded in Anishinaabe ways of knowing holds profound significance for individuals of all ages, from infancy through adulthood,” McCoy explained.
McCoy arranged workshops and youth opportunities during the grant project, including six immersive farm experiences at BMCC’s Waishkey Bay Farm. Activities ranged from cultivating Three Sisters' corn and creating bean and squash beadwork to making maple cream, learning vermiculture, practicing seed-saving techniques, exploring pig farming, participating in honey bottling sessions, and engaging in interactive lessons on seasonal harvests.
Feedback from Tribal youth leaders who experienced the Anishinaabe Science and Food Sovereignty curriculum has been positive. One leader enjoyed learning from the curriculum and desired to repeat the experience in future summers. McCoy presented the curriculum at the Michigan Indian Education Critical Issues Conference and the Great Lakes Indigenous Farming Conference, highlighting its relevance and impact within Indigenous education and sustainability initiatives.
NCR-SARE’s Research and Education grant program starts accepting proposals in mid-August.
Want more information? See the related SARE grant:
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.