A. A culturally -responsive curriculum reinforces the integrity of the cultural knowledge that students bring with them.
1. recognizes that all knowledge is imbedded in a larger system of cultural beliefs, values, and practices, each wit its own integrity and interconnectedness;2. insures that students acquire not only the surface knowledge of their culture, but are also well rounded in the deeper aspects of the associated beliefs and practice;
3. incorporates contemporary adaptations along with historical and traditional aspects of the local culture;
B. A culturally-responsive curriculum recognizes cultural knowledge as part of a living and constantly adapting system that is grounded in the past, but continues to grow through the present and into the future.
1. recognizes the contemporary validity of much of the traditional cultural knowledge, values and beliefs, and ground students learning in the principles and practices associated with that knowledge;2. provides students with an understanding of the dynamics of cultural systems as they change over time, and as they are impacted by external forces;
C. A culturally-responsive curriculum uses the local language and cultural knowledge as a foundation for the rest of the curriculum.
1. utilizes the local language as a base from which to learn the deeper meaning of the local cultural knowledge, values, beliefs and practices;2. recognizes the depth of knowledge that is associated with the long inhabitation of a particular place and utilizes the study of "place" as a basis for the comparative analysis of contemporary social, political and economic systems;
3. incorporates language and cultural immersion experiences wherever in-depth cultural understanding is necessary;
4. views all community members as potential teachers and all events in the community as potential learning opportunities;
5. treats local cultural knowledge as a means to acquire the conventional curriculum content as outlined in state standards, as well as an end in itself;
6. makes appropriate use of modern tools and technology to help document and transmit traditional cultural knowledge;
7. is sensitive to traditional cultural protocol, including role of spirituality, as it relates to appropriate uses of local knowledge.