Haudenosaunee Environmental Education Curriculum

With the assistance of the Environmental Protection Agency, The HETF has taken on the task of creating a Haudenosaunee Environmental Education Curriculum (HEEC). The goal of this project is to use the foundations of Haudenosaunee traditional teachings to establish an environmental curriculum that will also fit within US and Canadian education standards.  The time frame for the HEEC development is two years, with a completion date set for December 31st, 2012.

HETF will be organizing several focus group discussions throughout the Six Nation’s territory to encompass viewpoints of how Haudenosaunee have continued to sustain the environment throughout the generations and continue to do so, always keeping in mind the next seven generations to come.  Meetings have been hosted by Tuscarora Nation and Akwesasne where HETF staff and Nation leaders, delegates, community members and educators have met to collaborate on the approach and content of the HEEC development. 

With the serious environmental issues we are facing today, the development of a Haudenosaunee Environmental Education Curriculum can be used as an instrument to continue to safeguard our environment.  We can be assured this knowledge is passed on to our children to come as well as our neighbors within our Haudenosaunee territories.  The decline of our Natural World is evident through the changes in our plant and animal health due to the many threats upon our air, land and water ecosystems.   Thousands of programs have been put in place to reduce waste, and eliminate toxins that are released into our environment, but the problems continue to surmount.  These problems are at our doorstep and a plan is needed to restore and maintain our Natural World.   All these can be addressed through an environmental curriculum based on Haudenosaunee beliefs and traditions.

As Haudenosaunee we are taught the Creator has provided all we need to sustain ourselves, is in our Natural World.  And in return it is our job to be thankful, maintain and care for it every day.  Our goal at HETF is to develop an environmental curriculum to guide our Haudenosaunee children and our neighbors within our territory on how to care for our environment daily.  This guide will include the Haudenosaunee cultural traditions and beliefs we practice in order to preserve our Natural World.   We would like to see this information given to our children so they will continue to take care of our environment, the methods in which we do it, and know the reason for doing it, which is the desired outcome for developing a Haudenosaunee Environmental Education Curriculum.

If you are interested in participating in this process please contact either Noah Point at 315-842-4515 or Patricia Fischer at 716-609-3810. All Haudenosaunee are welcome.