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Community, board praise memorandum of understanding with Puyallup Tribe
Summary
A public commenter and district leaders highlighted a newly signed memorandum of understanding with the Puyallup Tribe as a step toward teaching tribal history, culture and language in University Place schools.
JT Burke, a University Place resident, commended the University Place School District on joining with a regional memorandum of understanding with the Puyallup Tribe to expand teaching of tribal culture and history.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by the district and representatives from about a dozen other Pierce County districts, district officials said. The district’s superintendent reported that a formal signing ceremony took place on March 28 and that Board President Dickinson and district representatives attended.
"The intentional creation of not only an understanding of tribal culture, art, and language, but also the history of the Puyallup people is essential in creating a broader understanding and deeper awareness of native people who were here first and as a first step on the path of healing," JT Burke said during the public-comment period.
In an update to the board, the superintendent described the March 28 ceremony as "moving," said tribal elders spoke about difficult historical relationships between public schools and the tribe, and characterized the MOU as "affirming of tribal heritage and culture and language." The superintendent added that the MOU represents an initial stage in a longer partnership and that "there was much appreciation. Still lots of work to do."
Board members and the superintendent said the MOU follows a process used by 12 or 13 of Pierce County’s 15 districts and that further work will include collaborations around tribal history, language and culture for classrooms.
The district did not provide in the meeting a timetable for curriculum changes or a detailed implementation plan; officials said the MOU is an early step and that more work is required to carry the partnership forward.
The public comment and the superintendent’s remarks occurred during the board’s public-comment period and the superintendent’s update; no board vote on the MOU occurred during this meeting because the board had approved the agreement at a prior meeting, officials said.
