The South Dakota Senate Education Committee voted down a collection of bills relating to Native American affairs this week.
Sen. Shawn Bordeaux is from Mission, South Dakota on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. He brought four education bills to the committee this week.
One, SB 163, would allow the playing of indigenous honor songs at graduation ceremonies upon student request. Bordeaux said it represents an opportunity for meaningful reconciliation.
“I’m trying to build upon something that I think is an expression and an opportunity for the state to stick out that olive branch and become a friend of our Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people," Bordeaux said. "We saw the students here during the State of the Tribes Address come in and sing this honor song – the “Lakota Flag Song”, its often called. Which was created after veterans came back from the war.”
Another bill, SB 187, would require schools to provide lessons on tribal history. Bordeaux said it would include long sought-after educational materials.
“One of the things that we discussed was some curriculum that was developed largely from people from my community. It’s called the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings," Bordeaux said. "It’s a curriculum that was developed for schools, elementary through high school, to basically give people an understanding about our culture. I think some basic knowledge is ground-level, what we should know as South Dakotans here.”
Rob Monson, executive director of the School Administrators of South Dakota, spoke against 187, arguing in favor of the current education review process.
“We currently have what I believe is a good process in South Dakota, although our social studies standards review right now seems to be a little bit in question and not truly where we believe it should be in a true standard review," Monson said. "However, I feel what is being discussed in this piece of legislation absolutely can take place in the standards review and should take place there.”
Bordeaux, in response, questioned the quality of the system currently in place.
Each proposal was ultimately moved to the 41st legislative day, effectively killing the bills.