Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Education Committee
HB 1879
Brief Description: Naming the curriculum used to inform students about tribal history, culture, and government after John McCoy (lulila?).
Sponsors: Representatives Lekanoff, Santos, Ryu, Tharinger, Ortiz-Self, Ramel, Cortes, Morgan, Reed, Ormsby, Timmons, Callan, Peterson, Chopp, Donaghy, Gregerson, Doglio, Fosse, Orwall, Bergquist, Stonier, Mena, Wylie, Reeves, Riccelli, Pollet, Shavers and Davis.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Names the curriculum used to teach public school students about tribal history, culture, and government as the John McCoy (lulila?) Since Time Immemorial curriculum.
Hearing Date: 1/16/24
Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).
Background:

Social Studies Curricula?Tribal History and Culture.
School districts must incorporate curricula about the history, culture, and government of the nearest federally recognized Indian tribe or tribes into their social studies curricula.  The requirement is activated when a school district reviews or adopts social studies curricula.  In meeting the requirement, school districts must use a curriculum developed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) called Since Time Immemorial:  Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State (STI curriculum).  The STI curriculum has been endorsed for use by the 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington and districts may modify the curriculum to incorporate elements that have a regionally specific focus. 
 
As school districts conduct regularly scheduled reviews and revisions of their social studies and history curricula, they must collaborate with any federally recognized Indian tribe within their district, and with neighboring Indian tribes, for the purpose of incorporating expanded and improved curricular materials about Indian tribes, and creating programs of classroom and community cultural exchanges.
 
School districts must also collaborate with the OSPI on curricular areas regarding tribal government and history that are statewide in nature, such as the concept of tribal sovereignty and the history of federal policy towards federally recognized Indian tribes.


John McCoy.
In 2005 Rep. John McCoy, whose traditional name in Lushootseed is lulila?, sponsored HB 1495.  The adopted legislation (ch. 205, Laws of 2005, enacted as Substitute House Bill 1495) began the process of incorporating information about tribal history, culture, and government into social studies courses in which Washington or United States history is taught, and established the statutory foundation for the use of the STI curriculum in public schools.


Mr. McCoy, who passed away June 6, 2023, represented the thirty-eighth Legislative District from 2003-2013 in the House of Representatives, and from 2013-2020 in the Washington State Senate.
Summary of Bill:

The curriculum used to teach public school students about tribal history, culture, and government is designated as the John McCoy (lulila?) Since Time Immemorial curriculum.


Specifies that the bill shall be known and cited as the John McCoy (lulila?) memorial tribal history, culture, and government act.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.