Do your kids know about these indigenous people who have changed history?

Even with holidays such as Indigenous People’s Day and Native American Heritage Month, popular culture and our history books may remind you of only a few indigenous people. We have many heroes, historic and modern, who are working toward goals that help elevate Native American and First Nations people along with protecting things vital to all of humankind, like water and food. Take some time to acknowledge their achievements and maybe even pick up a kids’ book that celebrates Native American culture and authors while you’re at it!

Deb Haaland
doi.gov

Deb Haaland

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe. She works towards environmental justice, mitigating climate change, finding missing and murdered indigenous women, and putting forth family-focused policies. She is one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress.

Sean Sherman is one of the important indigenous people your kid should know
Dana Thompson via Wikimedia Commons

Sean Sherman

Founder and CEO of The Sioux Chef, Sean marries his passion for cooking with his rich heritage by raising awareness of indigenous food systems. As the winner of the 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook, Sean uses his platform as a way to create opportunities for education around Native foods and culinary techniques. As a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, the work Sean does is deep-rooted in a sense of pride and connection to his people.

Amber Gueteiber

Josephine Mandamin

Born in 1942 in the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (Ontario, Canada), Josephine was the founder of the Mother Earth Water Walkers and fierce leader of the water protection movement who strived to bring awareness to water pollution. Having great influence on many people in her community, it comes as no surprise that her great-niece, next on our list, follows her path.

Autumn Peltier

Member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation, Autumn Peltier, was only 15 when she first spoke before the UN General Assembly on the issue of water protection in 2018. Known as a “water warrior,” she follows in her great aunt Josephine Mandamin’s footsteps, advocating for the rights of Native American communities to have access to clean water.

Related: 24 Black Heroes Our Kids Should Know by Name

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Edmonia Lewis

Born in New York around 1844 to indigenous parents—her father was African American and her mother was a Chippewa Indian—Edmonia spent a great deal of her career as a sculptor in Rome, Italy where she gained international notoriety in the world of fine arts. Although many of her sculptures depicted prominent American figures, Edmonia never forgot her heritage, paying homage to both her African American and Native American origins in sculptures such as “The Arrow Maker” (1866) and “Forever Free” (1867).

Neely Snyder

Descendant of Red Lake Nation and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Neely is passionate about creating healthier Native American communities. Applying her education and background in philanthropic leadership, Neely, as Executive Director of Dream of Wild Health, advocates for the organization’s mission to help indigenous Native American communities recover their natural ways of life, especially through indigenous food and agriculture. 

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Hilaria Supa Huamán

A native of Peru and a member of the indigenous peoples of Quechua, Hilaria says her adversities are what have given her the strength to fight for many causes that affect the Quechan, as well as people all around the world. She is an activist for women’s and land rights, using her influence as a member of the Peruvian Congress to lobby for and enact laws that would benefit these causes.

Jessie "Little Doe" Baird

Jessie "Little Doe" Baird is a linguist who helped revive the Algonquian language of her ancestors that had not been spoken for more than 150 years. As a citizen of the Mashpee Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation, she started to create a dictionary in 1996 chronicling the tribe’s ancestral language as part of a research fellowship with MIT. The dictionary holds more than 11,000 words.

Related: 18 Latinx Trailblazers Your Kids Should Know

UBC Museum of Anthropology, British Columbia via Creative Commons

Bill Reid

Not many kid’s history books talk about the Haida peoples of the Haida Gwaii archipelago, located off the west coast of British Colombia. Their preservation of land and water are admirable environmental achievements. Having a deep respect for his mother’s heritage, Bill Reid dedicated much of his work in the arts to the Haida peoples. Bill created, alongside other native artists, a sculpture depicting the story of human creation as passed down by Haida legend, among others. His work in bringing awareness to and preserving the stories of the Haida peoples is remarkable.

Joy Harjo

A member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Joy Harjo is an American poet who has served as the incumbent United States Poet Laureate since 2019. She is the first Native American to hold that honor. She has written nine books of poetry and two award-winning children's books, The Good Luck Cat and For a Girl Becoming. As the U.S. Poet Laureate, she has introduced the country to the many Native poets who live in these lands through her signature project, “Living Nations, Living Words”.

Winona La Duke is an important indigenous person your kids should know
Eclectek, via Creative Commons

Winona LaDuke

Descended from the Ojibwe tribe in Canada through her paternal blood, Winona has spent the past three decades actively working to recover lands for tribes such as the Anishinaabe. In addition to reclaiming lands, she also works to restore and preserve natural, indigenous cultures through the cultivation of native foods and products. Winona ran for president of the United States in both 1996 and 2000 as a member of the Green Party, and although she was not elected into office, we think the work she is doing carries just as much importance.

Isidro Baldenegro López

As a leader and indigenous member of Mexico's indigenous Tarahumara people, Isidro (b. 1966) staunchly defended the old-growth forests in his territory. In 2005, he was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for organizing peaceful protests that led to the protection of the forests and its indigenous people.

Got a hero to suggest? Email us at gabby.cullen@tinybeans.com.

Love your meat and cheese boards? You’ll want to pay attention to this announcement. Fratellli Beretta USA is recalling approximately 862,000 pounds of uncured antipasto products due to potential salmonella contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) made the announcement on Friday. The uncured meat trays were produced February 28, 2021 through August 15, 2021. Affected products are 24 ounce trays split into two 12 ounce packages: “UNCURED ANTIPASTO PROSCIUTTO, SOPPRESSATA, MILANO SALAMI & COPPA.” The UPC code is 073541305316.

After a larger salmonella outbreak in 17 states, the FSIS traced some of the illness reports back to the antipasto trays. Contamination with the bacteria can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever and may last four to seven days. Although most people recover at home, older adults, infants and those with weakened immune systems may require hospitalization.

If you find this product in your fridge, toss it out immediately. If you have more questions regarding the recall, contact Fratelli Beretta USA Inc.’s recall hotline at 1-866-918-8738.

––Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service

 

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While early childhood educators have long touted the importance of play, it has never been more crucial than during the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath.

We know that play and social interaction are critical to children’s emotional development and that it is loaded with cognitive learning opportunities as well. In fact, the social-emotional benefits of play boost learning, which cannot occur when children are stressed.

In a recent article in The Guardian, “Call for ‘summer of play’ to help English children recover from COVID-19 stress,” the benefits of social interaction and physical activity with friends are emphasized over more time devoted to playing academic “catch-up.”

Understandably, parents and educators are worried about the losses resulting from distance learning for all children, especially those from households with limited access to computers and the internet. However, experts are warning that trying to make up for losses can backfire if the social and emotional losses are not addressed first.

Since schools provide much-needed childcare as well as academic instruction, I am aware of the concerns that families have about turning down summer school opportunities. However, communities should push for local government to provide day camps and recreational activities instead of traditional summer school or at very least, in addition to.

Now is the time to be thinking about your child’s summer plans and that might include urging local school and community officials to provide increased recreational activities for children of all ages.

Many children have experienced heightened anxiety and depression as a result of social isolation. Providing increased opportunities for social interaction and physical activity is a much-needed antidote to the effects of nearly a year of quarantine and social distancing. In the words of Mr.Rogers, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

This post originally appeared on Little Folks Big Questions.

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.

Many small businesses across the country are trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with five local coffee roasters, Keurig is launching its own line of limited-edition K-Cup Pods. Proceeds from the sales of the Keurig Love Blend will go directly back to support each of the five roasters to aid in their rebuilding efforts and road to recovery in their respective communities. 

The Keurig Love Blend will be sold in a 40ct variety pack, including 10 light roast, 15 medium roast and 15 dark roast recyclable Keurig K-Cup Pods for $24.99.

In production now the Keurig Love Blend is expected to ship in the next four weeks and will be available for purchase while supplies last.

Keurig Love Blend

The Brew the Love Together roaster partners include:

  • Deaton and Chelsea Pigot, co-owners of Tectonic Coffee Roasters in Los Angeles, CA
  • Marcus Hollinger, Aaron Fender and John Onwuchekwa, co-owners of Portrait Coffee in Atlanta, GA
  • Michelle Martinez, owner of Hero Coffee Bar in Chicago, IL
  • Matt Cronin, owner of Mojo Coffee Roasters in New Orleans, LA
  • Sean Donnelly, owner of Mighty Oak Coffee Roasters in Astoria, Queens NY

Pre-sales are available now exclusively at Keurig.com/loveblend.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Keurig

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Photo: Tabitha Yates via The Redeemed Mama

“Oh yeah, I’m turning 9 and that’s half way to 18,” my daughter teasingly said to me, in a sing song voice.

It was the night before her 9th birthday and I tend to make a big deal out of the last night as a, whatever age she is. When she was 1 years old, she received a book for her birthday called, “If I Could Keep you Little.” Every night on her birthday’s eve, she pulls it out and asks me to read it to her and thank goodness, she hasn’t grown out of it yet. She pulled out her book on this very momentous last night as an 8-year-old and cuddled up in my arms. As I squeezed her tight, I felt this familiar twinge of pain, mixed with the tiniest bit of panic!

I think it’s because adding a third child to the mix, permanently makes your family feel as if you are living on fast forward, but the last two years or so; I have really been aware of how fast time is going with my only daughter and wondering how to make it slow down.

Parenthood is a tricky thing. You spend so much time either wishing they would just get past a certain age (hello terrible two’s!) or a certain phase. Then in the next breath, you’re wishing you could just hold on to them longer and keep them little. I am in the throws of both phases at once, due to my kid’s ages. 

My daughter is 9 and my sons are 2 and 4. So, I spend half my time wishing my boys would get just a tiny bit older. Old enough that we can all go to the movies. Old enough that my life doesn’t revolve around nap times and toddler meltdowns. Old enough that we can go out to dinner at a restaurant and sit down…and stay…and not feel like we could have just set our money on fire afterwards!

But then, here’s this not so little girl and it seems like just yesterday I was wishing she would get just a little bit older as well. Old enough to be potty trained. Old enough to sleep on her own. Old enough to not have such awful separation anxiety.

After all the wishing and waiting for a different season of motherhood, it suddenly seems, she is old enough now. We can go out to eat and chat like little best friends. We go on shopping sprees without the boys and order hot chocolate from Starbucks and spend way too long in Target. We wait till the boys fall asleep early and sneak downstairs with chocolate, to watch a Hallmark movie or a “big girl” show. I find myself feeling this sense of urgency at times, like I just don’t have enough time left with her. By the time her brother’s get “old enough,” she’s going to be a preteen and I’m going to be wishing the boys would just stop growing too!

We cannot stop this inevitable paradigm of parenthood. We inadvertently wish away so many seasons of their life and then once they are gone, we mourn that we can’t get them back. I have felt such a strong pull in the last year or two particularly, to make my time with my kids count, to go on the trip even if my 2-year-old freaks out the whole airplane ride and I need a vacation to recover from the vacation! To let them stay up late for movie nights and sleepovers, even though the Mombie in me is ready for Netflix and chill by 8 p.m. To let go of all my order and rules sometimes and let us eat dessert before dinner, even though I know I’ll pay for it later; when they’re bouncing off the walls at bed time! 

I want to be intentional in the time I spend with my children. I want to make it a priority. I want to make sure that I don’t look back with regrets. They’re only this age once and before you know it, the moment is a memory. I want to store up as many as I possibly can of just being with my kids, being present in the moment…laughing, hugging, cuddling, reading, and being totally wrapped up in the joy that only motherhood can bring.

It won’t always be this way, Mama. Their independence will come and it cannot be stopped. So, relish the nights they cry out for you and the days they seem to always be underfoot; because the day our babies turn 18 will come faster than we can imagine and as sure as the sun will rise, they will grow old enough and we will miss this beautiful, life giving exhaustion we are going through right now. 

The Redeemed Mama is a writer who had had articles published by The Today Show, Love What Matters, The Mighty, Faithit, For Every Mom, The Creative Child Magazine and more. She has 3 beautiful kids and resides in Southern Arizona and loves writing about parenting, life and growth!

On a recent outing to the Carousel in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn, my granddaughter and I were both very disappointed that the Carousel was unexpectedly closed for repairs. There is a wonderful playground in the vicinity, so we were able to quickly regroup and have some fun nearby.

But before heading off to the park, I had a brief chat with a parent whose child was not taking the closed carousel news very well. Her son looked to be about 3 and a half years old and was very forlorn. Like most people headed to a carousel, he was super excited and looking forward to a ride or two. The mom seemed just as disappointed and stuck with this feeling of disappointment as her son.

We have all been there with children, and it’s a good idea to have some tools in your toolbox for when these inevitable moments happen.

First and foremost it is important to name and acknowledge the feeling. Being sad and disappointed is okay. Sometimes we try to talk children out of their feelings, which almost never works. It’s better to model the appropriate ways to express emotions. It is okay to be upset, but a child can’t disturb other people, take their frustration out on the grown-up by yelling at or hitting them, or by running away.

Offer ideas about what the child can do, such as take a deep breath, get an extra hug, and or help think about other activities to do instead. If a child is really upset it might be helpful to allow them some time to recover and then offer a choice, ” you can do this… or this instead”. Make suggestions that help to discharge the high emotions, like play “Follow the Leader” or other physical games. Use your imagination and together make up a story about how the carousel broke down – like maybe the horses rode off in the middle of the night to dance under the moon and now have to rest up before reopening.

For some children, distractions such as this can be just as much fun as a ride on the merry-go-round. If the child is old enough, he or she can draw a picture or make a book about the carousel horses and their adventures. Be creative, have a pretend adventure yourselves or a scavenger hunt looking for “things that are red, or that go round (like the horses) or that you can ride”.

Tell your child a story about a similar experience you have had that had a positive resolution. Discuss how to avoid the problem the next time, like remembering to call or check the website. Let them in on your thinking, that’s how they learn to problem solve. If you are calm and relaxed, your child will most likely mirror those emotions.

In our case, after leaving the carousel, we actually headed next to a nearby branch of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, but it wasn’t going to be open for two more hours. So that started a game called “Silly Nonna” about a grandmother who keeps taking her granddaughter to things that are closed! As we continued on, we thought of places that the silly grandmother could go to that would be closed, such as the ice cream store, the toy store and the swimming pool, each time repeating the refrain, “Oh, no, that’s closed too…silly Nonna!” Finally, we happily arrived at the playground, and fortunately, it was open and lots of fun!

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.

More than two million nonmilitary federal workers will soon be eligible for 12 weeks of parental leave.

Congress recently reached an agreement that would give federal employees (sorry, this soon-to-be law doesn’t extend to non-government employees) paid leave to care for a newborn or adopted child.

photo: Lisa Fotios via Pexels

Provided the deal is passed and signed into law, it will become the first major change in benefits for federal workers since 1993 and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Even though this new expansion of federal employee parental leave benefits is a step in the right direction, it isn’t a done deal yet. It must pass the House vote before it moves on to the President.

While there are plenty of applause for this potential paid parental leave act, some advocates still think the new measure should also include benefits for federal employees who need to care for non-infant/child family members. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. said, in a prepared statement to NBC News, “I believe with all my heart that we need a policy that supports that hard-working young woman who is having her new baby, that supports the father in crisis who is caring for his two-year-old daughter with cancer, and that supports the dedicated husband who is helping his wife recover from her stroke.”

—Erica Loop

 

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October 31 has always been the day when young trick-or-treaters don their costumes and head out armed with their plastic pumpkins to fulfill their candy-fueled dreams. A petition to move Halloween wants to change all that with a dramatic change to this beloved holiday.

The campaign to move Halloween isn’t exactly new. It has been making the rounds since it was launched by the nonprofit Halloween & Costume Association last year, but now with summer creeping to an end and pumpkin spice season swiftly approaching, the petition to change Halloween has quickly been gaining momentum. It currently has over 100,000 signatures and is steadily adding more every day.

photo: Alex via Pexels

The argument behind changing All Hallows Eve? Making it easier for parents. Supporters of this petition say that making the last Saturday of the month the permanent date of this annual holiday will ensure that working parents won’t have to worry about getting home in time to take their kids trick-or-treating before it gets late. Instead, an entire day will be dedicated to the holiday and festivities can kick off before it even gets dark.

They also argue that having the remainder of the weekend to recover from late bed times and sugar overdosing will benefit kids, parents and teachers, who often have a hard time keeping kids focused when Halloween lands on a weekday. Safety is another issue cited as the nonprofit Halloween & Costume Association, who launched the petition, claims that 63 percent of kids don’t carry a flashlight while they are tick-or-treating and 82 percent of parents don’t use high visibility aids on their kids costumes.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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If Netflix’s new Carmen Sandiego series has you longing for the original game that started it all, you’ll be excited to discover that you can now play Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego thanks to Google Maps.

Globe-trotting sleuths who have felt the Carmen Effect can go on the hunt for that elusive thief in red with a brand new series of games that will take place on Google Earth. Google Earth and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have teamed up to release “The Crown Jewels Caper.”

The new game, which will be the first in a series, takes players on a journey around the globe tracking clues and solving cases, all in an effort to find Carmen Sandiego. Of course there will be plenty of exciting history and geography lessons along the way.

New fans will appreciate the high-tech images that Google Earth brings to the table, while nostalgic parents will love the green-hued nod to the old IBM computers they played the original game on as kids.

To catch Carmen Sandiego all you have to do is boot up Google Earth and start your journey.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Netflix

 

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Is your kiddo in daycare? Do your littles spend plenty of time around other children? Hand, foot and mouth disease in kids is a common childhood illness—it’s common for kids to pick it up this time of year. Even though anyone of any age can come down with a case of HFMD, this easy-to-pass-on virus is most often seen in children ages five and under.

If you have concerns about this illness, have never heard of it or just want to do whatever you can to protect your kiddo (because of course you do), read on for the scoop on hand, foot and mouth disease.

Photo: Shelbey Miller via Unsplash

What Is HFMD?

Yes, the words “hand, foot and mouth disease” sound scary. But in reality this virus is common and typically mild in most otherwise healthy children. HFMD is a viral infection, most often caused by coxsackievirus. (In some cases enterovirus is the culprit behind the illness, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that HFMD associated with enterovirus is more likely in outbreaks that occur in East and Southeast Asia.)

Children infected with the virus typically develop sores in their mouth, along with a rash on their hands and feet. (And now you know where the name comes from.) Some children also develop a rash or blisters on their elbows, knees, buttocks or genital area. While it may look like chicken pox, it’s not.

Most healthy children will recover from the virus on their own. Some children, and even adults, can have the virus without any symptoms. This means it’s possible to pass HFMD on without ever knowing you have it.

Using proper hand-washing techniques and avoiding sick people can help to reduce your child’s risks of getting HFMD.

Is There an HFMD Vaccine?

Currently there is no vaccine for HFMD. While anyone with a compromised immune system or existing health conditions could develop serious symptoms (and in some rare cases the disease can progress into a more severe illness in some otherwise healthy kiddos), it usually resolves on its own without medical intervention.

How Do I Know if My Kid Has HFMD?

The common symptoms of HFMD include:

  • Painful mouth sores
  • Rash (hands and feet)
  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Reduced appetite

When Should We See a Doctor?

If you have any doubts about your child’s health, always call the pediatrician immediately. Even though this virus is mild in most children, if your child doesn’t get better, has a high fever, is in pain, dehydrated or in any other way seems “off,” contact the doc ASAP.

—Erica Loop

 

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