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December 23, 2003

Plymouth Day of Mourning     Kelley & Yecke on MPR    
 Historians aren't sole keepers of nation's past

Plymouth Day of Mourning
Column by MN State Representative Bruce Anderson
Published in the Wright County Journal Press
December 5, 2003

Thanksgiving Reflections

The MN House will go back into session on February 2nd, 2004. One of our most exciting debates will be about the new proposed K-12 standards for Science, Geography, Economics, History and Civics. Legislators will join the deliberations over content/ analysis/attitudes/worldview, etc., and the public will have to get serious about this chance to provide something better than the profile of learning.

What does this have to do with Thanksgiving? After having attended several of the town meetings to take citizen comments on the proposed draft, I suspect that every familiar character associated with this national holiday will be a hot topic.

Recently, Plymouth, Massachusetts decided to place markers near Plymouth Rock that describe Thanksgiving as a "National Day of Mourning" and refer to the Pilgrims as genocidal murderers. The ancient landmarks have been desecrated.

By most accounts, the Pilgrims had a relationship with the local natives that involved the signing of a peace treaty that lasted unbroken for more than fifty years. The relations between the two communities represented a high-water mark of interaction in North America. No one denies other historical accounts of negative force used against native Americans, and neither do the proposed standards.

Thanksgiving, however, is much more than a remembrance of the past. It is a holiday that is always focused on current events. Countless people in every state stop to thank God for the basics, lest they take them for granted. Most of us stop to appreciate the autumn harvest and the freedoms we cherish.  This time of reflection is a tradition worth keeping.

Submitted by
Bruce Anderson
Minnesota State Representative 19A

- - - -

From an Letter to the Editor in the Monticello Times,
December 18th from a member of the Academic Standards Committee:

Historians aren't sole keepers of nation's past [excerpts]

I attended 10 of the 14 town meetings held throughout the state to solicit citizen input on the new academic standards draft for social studies. Many of the educators who spoke at these meetings claimed the standards omitted important historical events, concepts and people - particularly those that represented "diverse perspectives" or "unvarnished" views of the past. As described in the Times' Musings of Nov. 27, 32 University of Minnesota history professors submitted a detailed commentary full of similar claims to Education Commissioner Yecke...

Among the broader criticisms leveled against the draft standards are:

1. The silencing of dissent and conflict in the past and present,

2. The stifling of vital alternative traditions, and

3. The refusal to acknowledge the tragedies and injustices of our own past...

The U. of M. [History Professors' ] letter [to the Minnesota
Commissioner of Education] quotes Eric Foner, Columbia University's Marxist labor historian, to highlight the emergence of 'social history' and the contributions of common people.

'Social history' has been dominated by those who emphasize the oppression and subjugation of women, minorities, and workers in America. They do not focus on the gradual, if fitful, extension of rights and freedoms to all citizens. One begins to question the yardstick used by modern historians when America always comes up short.

Most of us do not believe our country is fundamentally racist and oppressive, having "simplistic" notions of patriotism. We see a national mission, not just people alienated from each other by class, race and sex.

The good professors are entitled to their views, but they are not the sole keepers of our nation's past. That is left up to all of us - working through our elected representatives in the legislature and local school boards.

Dorothy Anderson, Buffalo, MN

The proposal for new science and social studies standards in Minnesota is being delivered to the legislature at the beginning of the year. 

On December 22, Education Commissioner Yecke and Senator Kelley, the Chair of the Senate Education Committee carried on a discussion on Minnesota Public Radio about what's coming up in the 2004 session.

In response to a question about the teaching of the Declaration of Independence in the new standards, Senator Kelley responded:

Kelley & Declaration
"We're going to be constantly involved in a  debate over what the Declaration means. What is the significance of it... I don't think there is any particular orthodoxy about it."

"I'm not sure it's accurate historically or legally to call the Declaration of Independence a founding document. We will be having those kinds of debates."

Commissioner Yecke's response:
"It was very clear to the Committee that the Declaration of Independence is the founding document of this country and the Constitution is the founding document of our government. Its principles are something to which we still aspire. It is critical to understand the underpinning of what we do "

The new standards proposal state:
"Students will understand and explain that the Declaration of Independence is the founding document that sets forth the guiding principles for the government of our nation and declares that individuals have rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." [p.4]

Host Gary Eichten:
Do you expect to make changes in the draft?

Senator Kelley:
"There were additional changes [with the math and language arts standards after they were submitted to the legislature]. I would expect that we'll be doing a similar process in these standards."

"We're going to treat these [proposed standards from the Commissioner] as substantive recommendations from a group of citizens who worked very hard on this. Then the Senate is going to use its best efforts to make sure that we've incorporated a broad viewpoint of folks in reaction to this draft."

"We are going to need folks from diverse backgrounds to send us comments. I hope in early January to name a youth advisory council."

Host Gary Eichten:
"Are you expecting a donney brook at the legislature over this, whether they represent America's goodness enough, whether they represent America's evil-ness enough? Quite a debate?"

Senator Kelley:
"I think the progress reduces the likelihood of that somewhat, probably to a great degree, but I never rule out the possibility of a good political fight at some point in the process.

Senator Kelley has scheduled a Senate hearing for January 23rd. In some school districts, this is a school holiday. Stay tuned for information about the coming hearing. Plan to be there. Without question there will be a concerted effort to sabotage the arduous and careful work of the academic standards committee. Show up.

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