Outdoor School can be the world’s greatest classroom where students learn about themselves and the environment in Oregon’s diverse natural landscapes.
But for Indigenous students, families and communities, it wasn’t always a welcoming experience.
Until recently, most outdoor education programs perpetuated a “myth of the wilderness” in which Indigenous people are portrayed as relics of the past. In some cases, the curriculum was presented as if nobody lived in Oregon prior to white settlement. Cultural appropriation and stereotyping of Indigenous culture were rampant. Stories and songs belonging to Tribal communities’ sacred traditions were taken without permission and out of context.
“The white settler experience was often the only experience that was represented in the curriculum,” says Spirit Brooks, Director of Outdoor School for the OSU Extension Service, which manages the program statewide.
But Outdoor School in Oregon is changing.
With guidance and professional development opportunities for outdoor educators provided by Oregon State, community-based and culturally responsive programs are becoming grounded in equity, diversity, access and inclusion.
Steeped in inequity
When Brooks joined Outdoor School in 2017, she was struck by the lack of cultural responsiveness in many programs.
An enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Brooks visited outdoor schools to observe and collect information statewide. Except for a few instances, Native Americans had not been asked to help shape what was being taught at Outdoor School. And Native parents were concerned and hesitant to have their children go.
“Prior to statewide funding, it was white, privileged students who were able to attend,” Brooks says. “There was real inequity in who actually got to participate.”
There are several reasons Indigenous people hadn’t been consulted or involved with Outdoor School. “I think mostly it was a lack of support, a lack of knowledge and a lack of resources,” Brooks says.
Outdoor School programs had become steeped in the traditions of a district, and it was easy to continue using an existing curriculum. One district had been using the same curriculum since 1978. Now that resources are available, districts are using them to improve the Outdoor School experience.
“They were open to us helping update their curriculum to better reflect their communities,” Brooks says.
Adapting outdoor education
Oregon is the first state in the U.S. to use lottery funds to pay for an immersive outdoor education experience for all fifth and sixth graders. Since 2017, OSU Extension has been responsible for distributing funds to school districts, education service districts and other organizations to establish and operate outdoor school programs.
Brooks co-wrote a self-paced online course that is offered through OSU Professional and Continuing Education. The course is most helpful for white educators and challenges assumptions and misinformation about Indigenous people and cultures, Brooks says.
Districts still design and deliver their Outdoor School programs to meet state guidelines. The legislature was intentional in not mandating a statewide outdoor education curriculum.
“It is important that schools and districts have agency in how they develop curriculum for their communities,” Brooks says.
All Outdoor School programs must address soil, water, plants and animals and offer a field study component. They can cover the interrelationship of nature and natural resources, economic development and career opportunities. Social studies and history components are also common.
Through grants, OSU Extension supports districts in revising their Outdoor School programs and training staff. The latest funding cycle includes grants for professional development on the topics of culturally responsive education and cultural humility, along with grants for physical improvements for buildings, landscapes and other shared spaces.
Integrating Indigenous Knowledge with Western science
A major task in overhauling Outdoor School has been incorporating Indigenous Knowledge, the evolving body of observations, written and oral knowledge about the natural environment acquired by Indigenous people over hundreds or thousands of years.
“Western modern science is one way of knowing,” Brooks says. “Indigenous knowledge is also a way of knowing.”
The problem is they don’t always integrate. One area of improvement has been teaching Outdoor School using field science through an Indigenous lens. It’s been a positive and transformative experience for many participants, she says. And not only for Native students but also for students who may not do well in a traditional classroom. Instead of just observing and recording outcomes as data, students are learning critical thinking, teamwork and a shared history.
Developing relationships with Tribes
At least one program was already incorporating Indigenous Knowledge. Camp Tamarack in Central Oregon worked closely with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to develop a specific curriculum for Native students who attend the Warm Springs K-8 Academy in Jefferson County. It’s become a standard for others to follow, Brooks says, with OSU Extension encouraging districts to include Indigenous communities from the start.
Brooks says educators are thoughtful, cautious and respectful in approaching Tribes as they develop and nurture new relationships with Outdoor School. They must be careful not to burden Native communities with telling districts what to do.
“We continue to be humble, show up and be open to listening about what’s working and what’s not,” she says. “It’s always evolving.”
Moving in the right direction
The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted and delayed implementation of many of the changes to Outdoor School, but there has been definite progress, particularly in the areas of developing more culturally responsive curriculum and in outreach to families and traditionally underserved communities.
Brooks says there are still communities who are often left out, including students with disabilities, students who are refugees, low-income students and students of color. In response, OSU Extension flexed its funding guidelines to provide additional staff, transportation and adaptive equipment to accommodate more participants. Extension is also creating a promotional video that introduces Latinx students and their families to the Outdoor School experience.
“We have to think about how we can market Outdoor School to communities who have been less comfortable participating,” Brooks says. “Our commitment is to equity.”
It’s a commitment that’s delivering results — and ongoing.