American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Heritage

These books and classroom resources highlight American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian heritage and history, providing an opportunity to recognize, understand, and celebrate the traditions and cultures of Native peoples.

We encourage educators to look for ways to incorporate these materials — as well as discussion about Native Americans tribes and cultures — into your curriculum throughout the year!

Books & Authors

Share a great kid's book

Author video interviews

Poet Francisco Alarcón: A Trilingual Poet

Poet Francisco Alarcón knows three languages: English, Spanish, and Nahuatl. Discover how this trilingual poet incorporates his grandmother's Nahuatl language into his works today and hear him read some of his poetry.

Resources for Families

Language and Literacy Tips for Families: Diné (Navajo)

Colorín Colorado’s new series of 8 tips for families is available in 16 languages, including Diné. These resources can be shared via tip sheet or social media graphics.

Reading Tip Sheet for Parents: Diné (Navajo)

These reading tip sheets offers ideas for families of children in preschool through third grade.

Special Education FAQ for Multilingual Families: Diné (Navajo)

This Q&A offers multilingual families an introduction to special education in schools. The tip sheet is available in 14 languages, including Diné.

In the classroom

Meet Diné Educator Delores Noble-Parker

Delores Noble-Parker grew up in the Diné (Navajo) Nation in the Southwestern United States. Her generation was in the middle of a massive cultural shift between the traditional Diné culture that predominantly spoke the Diné language and a modern culture trying to stamp out the language. In this interview, Noble-Parker draws upon her experience as a bilingual teacher and administrator to speak about her approaches for success in the classroom.

Research Reports

These research reports describe effective practices in the education of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students.

Additional Resources

Classroom videos from Clara Gonzales-Espinoza in Albuquerque, NM featuring Native students (5th-grade)
Strategies for assessing and placing ELLs
Best instructional practices for teaching vocabulary, reading, and content areas
The Colorín Colorado T.ELL.E-GRAM, an e-newsletter especially for educators
ELL Starter Kit for Educators with assessment and reading checklists, plus progress forms and more.
Professional development webcasts on teaching ELLs, available for free, anytime.