From an Educator's Perspective
Q: What does the state provide in the curriculum in regards to Fort Snelling?
We don't really have any state provided "curriculum" -- just the state standards to follow. Some teachers follow the standards selectively, I try to follow them closely. There is actually no specific reference to Fort Snelling in the standard benchmarks. However, there are standards about exploration and treaties in which Fort Snelling is a natural and completely necessary fit.
Q: Do you elaborate on the state's requirements?
We do an introductory reading and photo analysis of the site (a couple of paintings from the early history of the site after the building of the fort). That's one day (and does not deal with the Dakota). It then comes up again as we map locations and time of treaties throughout the state. We do a color coding mapping activity that codes things by era of when pieces of land were acquired. It is featured in the Northern Lights chapter 6 text we utilize, and a couple pages in the eBook. We then come back around to it at the end of our coverage of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 and talk (briefly) about the imprisonment over the winter of 1862/1863. In total, Fort Snelling is our main topic for one class period and comes around and is a smaller part of class on another 5-6 days.
Q: What you teach to the students in class about the incarceration?
Honestly, not a ton that's real specific. It just fits in the general teaching of what happened to the Dakota after the war -- those that escaped, the hangings in Mankato, the imprisoning at Fort Snelling, the exile to Crow Creek, etc.
Q: How much time is spent on that in comparison to the rest of the history of the site?
Hard to say exactly -- if I were to estimate a percent of my time on Fort Snelling focusing on that aspect it would be small -- maybe 10-15% tops? I would be interested in potential further resources on that topic but haven't seen many. Even if I did have further resources I don't know that I would be able to spend much more time on it, as the number of standards and topics I have to cover is immense.
Q: Have you taken a field trip to Fort Snelling, or are you familiar with the site?
I have not. Many of my kids have already taken trips there in elementary school. We have 3 main feeder schools that feed into our school plus we get kids from all over. I always ask how many students have been to Fort Snelling and 1/3 to 1/2 already have.
As you can see, while Fort Snelling has had many different histories, there is little focus upon this historic site as a site of injustice and incarceration. While educators wish they had more resources on the topic, none are available to them. And among the ones that are, they lack specifics the specifics of the incarceration - and as such are only allowed to teach what is printed within Northern Lights. While some students do take prior trips to Fort Snelling, as we have covered, the interpretation on site is not currently inclusive of Dakota history.