Elevate Indigenous voices during Indigenous Heritage Month

In November, we celebrate Indigenous Heritage Month at Microsoft, a time to recognize and honor the rich histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples. We also take the opportunity to acknowledge that inclusive educational practices are more important than ever. This helps ensure that Indigenous students see their cultures reflected and celebrated, while all students gain a deeper appreciation for the diverse experiences of Indigenous communities.

With inclusive activities from Minecraft Education and AI-powered tools like Microsoft Copilot, you can create engaging and easy-to-implement learning experiences to honor Indigenous Heritage Month 2024. Integrate these resources to foster appreciation and recognize the cultural perseverance, innovation, and resilience of Indigenous communities. Help all students develop a broader appreciation of Indigenous heritage and leadership—while ensuring Indigenous students see their cultures valued and celebrated.

Honoring Indigenous cultures with Minecraft Education

Minecraft Education offers students the opportunity to step into another world, where they can explore Indigenous knowledge and traditions through immersive learning. These ready-made worlds let your students engage with the history, values, and contributions of Indigenous peoples in a way that is fun, hands-on, and meaningful.

Here are four Minecraft worlds that celebrate Indigenous history, culture, and innovation:

• A Pacific Northwest Coast Experience (grades 2–12): Take your students on a journey created with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation in which they’ll go back in time to help a coastal community prepare for winter. Through this immersive experience, students learn about Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, the interconnectedness of all living things, and what it takes to build a self-sustaining village.
• Manito Ahbee Aki (grades 3–6): Dive into Anishinaabe culture and teachings with this world that encourages students to strengthen their writing and critical thinking skills. Along the way, they’ll gain insights into Indigenous perspectives on community, leadership, and the importance of cultural continuity.
• Indigenous Stories (all ages): Show students the power of oral traditions through research and storytelling. In this easy-to-teach build challenge world, they’ll develop literacy and art skills by illustrating stories told by Native people, connecting with the rich tradition of passing knowledge through generations.
• NGĀ MOTU – The Islands (all ages): Set in Aotearoa (New Zealand), this world takes students on a journey to discover the Indigenous language, culture, and environmental stewardship practices of the Māori people. Students will expand their understanding of how Indigenous peoples across the globe have cared for the land for centuries.

Whether you’re new to Minecraft or a seasoned pro, these experiences are designed to be intuitive and engaging for students of all ages.

Bring inclusive lessons to life with Copilot

In addition to immersing students in Indigenous cultures and histories with Minecraft Education, Copilot can streamline lesson planning for Indigenous Heritage Month, helping you create engaging and culturally responsive lessons in a fraction of the time.

With just a few prompts, Copilot helps you gather everything you need from historical insights to meaningful videos and interactive activities that honor Indigenous communities. Copilot goes beyond content creation. It can also recommend alternative perspectives, highlight important themes, and suggest activities aligned with standards, ensuring your lessons are both impactful and inclusive.

Copy and paste these prompts into Copilot to get started. Tailor them in a way that aligns with your specific classroom needs and objectives.

• Create an inquiry-based unit plan for secondary students that investigates contemporary issues affecting Indigenous communities in the [specific region]. Explore topics like tribal sovereignty, land rights, and cultural preservation. Include discussion prompts to encourage critical thinking. Use unbiased primary and secondary sources. Provide a detailed student rubric.
• Design an engaging set of [grade or age level] lessons on the significance of language revitalization in Indigenous communities. Have students research the history of Indigenous languages, the impact of colonization on language loss, and contemporary revitalization efforts. Students can write a reflection or narrate an oral history about why language preservation is vital to maintaining cultural identity and how it’s supported today. Include age-appropriate reading materials, multimedia resources, and interactive activities that align with [grade or age level and specific standards] standards.
• Develop a lesson plan for [grade or age level] students focused on the contributions of Indigenous leaders in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. Allow students to explore one or more Indigenous environmentalists or traditional ecological knowledge systems, aligned with [grade or age level and specific standards] standards. Suggest notable and lesser-known Indigenous figures, including both well-recognized and emerging leaders. Include hands-on activities, and relevant historical content.

Copilot makes it easier for you to craft meaningful, impactful lessons that celebrate Indigenous contributions. Customize units and lessons across subjects and grade levels, ensuring they meet standards while honoring Indigenous cultures.

Extend Indigenous voices beyond the lesson plan

You can also use Copilot to enrich your classroom by engaging students with Indigenous voices in ways that go beyond traditional lessons. By adding your insights, Copilot can suggest guest speakers, virtual tours of significant Indigenous cultural sites, and collaborative projects that connect students with Indigenous community leaders. It can also help you curate recommendations for literature, music, and artwork by Indigenous creators to bring authentic, diverse experiences into your classroom.

Copy and paste these prompts into Copilot to discover ways to create a more inclusive and diverse learning environment. Tailor them in a way that aligns with your specific classroom needs and objectives.

• Generate a list of resources of Indigenous sites, historical landmarks, or places of significance near [city, geographic location, etc.]. Include ancient gathering spots, sacred lands, or culturally important areas. Identify ways a class could visit these spots virtually (e.g., virtual field trips, videos, images, articles). Connect each site to the history and identity of local Indigenous communities.
• Develop a month-long reflective journaling activity for [grade or age level] students on Indigenous land and culture. Have students investigate the history of Indigenous tribes in [city, geographic location, etc.] using resources you curate. Encourage students to reflect on how this history changes their view of the land and their relationship to it. Throughout the month, provide prompts for students to reflect on how they can respect and honor Indigenous connections to the land today.
• Create a selection of age-appropriate literature and picture books by Indigenous authors for [grade or age level] students. Include books that showcase a range of Indigenous cultures and perspectives without reinforcing stereotypes. Provide a brief theme and summary for each book, highlighting the unique voices and stories of the authors.

Whether you’re looking to introduce new voices into your classroom or create immersive, reflective experiences for your students, Copilot helps you go beyond the basics and offers rich, engaging content that resonates with your students.

During Indigenous Heritage Month, let Minecraft Education and Copilot help you bring Indigenous voices into your classroom in ways that are both impactful and easy to implement. Minecraft Education’s immersive worlds celebrate the rich cultures and contributions of Indigenous communities, while Copilot can assist you in crafting thoughtful, culturally responsive lessons. With these powerful tools, you can create meaningful learning experiences that will inspire your students all year long.

Curious about how the vivid tapestry of the Indigenous community surfaces across Microsoft? Explore stories and more from our colleagues who are helping set a standard for the future of technology and the ways we bring ourselves to work.