Cattail Rising: A Commitment to Native-Led Educational Sovereignty

Foundations and Transition to Native Leadership

Cattail Rising emerged from the Native Voices pilot project, which began in 2017 as an inter-departmental collaboration at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) involving the Migrant Education Program, the Arts Education Program, and the Office of Native Education.

The Native Voices initiative aimed to support American Indian and Alaska Native middle school students who qualified for Migrant Education, focusing on culturally grounded educational programs. The program had three primary goals:

1. To organize gatherings where Tribal teaching artists engaged students in cultural arts.
2. To provide professional learning for school personnel on the unique needs and culture-based opportunities for Native Migrant students.
3. To facilitate the co-design of story-grounded, arts-integrated curriculum in collaboration with Tribal teaching artists, local Tribal leaders, and classroom educators.

The OSPI Migrant Education Program awarded a contract to two non-Native organizations, to support student gatherings and professional learning. With guidance from the Office of Native Education and a commitment to centering Tribal educational sovereignty, the Native Voices Leadership Team was formed to advise on the development and structure of the program. This team, comprised of Tribal Elders and teaching artists, co-designed and led the program, which, over several years, became a source of educational growth, cultural pride, and community support for Native students, families, and educators across the state.

Through the Native Voices project, our team became a family. We expanded into a larger, closely-knit group, building meaningful relationships with our youth, their families, Tribal partners, and classroom teachers. What began as a small initiative grew far beyond its original scope, creating space and opportunities that center our youth, our people, our lands, and our lifeways. These early efforts laid the groundwork for a more empowering, culturally resonant approach to Native youth education and community collaboration.

The Need for Native-Led Direction

As the program evolved, it became clear that a Native-led organization was essential for the Native Voices project to achieve its full potential. The Leadership Team, as the original architects of the program, recognized that expanding this work under a Native-led organization was both a natural progression and a necessity to ensure its cultural integrity and sustainability. From this insight, Cattail Rising was born: an Inter-Tribal women-led organization committed to promoting self-determination, cultural sovereignty, and authentic representation of Tribal Nations in education.

Why Native People Must Lead in Native Education

The importance of Native leadership in Tribal programs cannot be overstated. Programs designed for Native communities are most successful when led by Tribal people who understand their own cultures, histories, and the nuances of their educational needs. Cattail Rising offers the opportunity for Native educators to lead, design, and implement culturally respectful programming without oversight from external, non-Native organizations. The history of white-led institutions governing Native programs has often led to cultural misrepresentation, appropriation, and a replication of colonial harm. Cattail Rising stands as a pathway to replace these practices, centering the voices, vision, and leadership of Native people at the forefront.

Through this transition, Cattail Rising seeks to support Native youth, families, and Tribal communities by bringing education that is fully aligned with Tribal sovereignty, justice, and self-determination. We are committed to a model of education that respects the teachings and values of our people and ensures that resources, support, and educational success are determined by and for Native communities.

Our Commitment Moving Forward

The formation of Cattail Rising is a milestone in Native-led education and an affirmation of our dedication to serve our communities on our terms. Our Leadership Team has brought invaluable experience and unwavering dedication to the success of Native Voices, and Cattail Rising represents the next step in realizing the full potential of our vision. As we move forward, we are building a future where Native youth, families, and communities are empowered, healed, and celebrated through education that is rooted in our identities, driven by our leadership, and committed to our self-determined success.