Hey Squad!
Every year, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day approaches, I feel the desire to do something truly meaningful with my family. But last year, I realized my squad needed more than just an activity; they needed context. I had to get clear on why it’s so important for me to teach them about the Indigenous people of America.
The reason is simple: erasure.
As people of the African Diaspora in America, we understand the painful weight of historical erasure all too well. We know what it feels like to have our narratives silenced, contributions overlooked, and histories rewritten. That shared experience fuels my commitment to ensuring my children learn a more complete and honest version of American history—one that doesn’t just memorialize the government but truly honors all the people who have shaped this land. I am right there with them, unlearning and relearning, and it’s a journey we’re on together.
This year, I was determined to do something, but the reality of life as a working mom is that time is my most limited resource. When I was a teacher, I could develop materials from scratch. But I wasn’t a working mom then. Now, I worry about what’s happening in schools and feel the pull to supplement my children’s social studies education, but I don’t always have the bandwidth to create my own lessons.
This is where I’ve started leaning on Gemini. It has been a huge help in my daily life, keeping me organized, breaking down complex ideas for my writing, and helping me stay on top of my tasks. So, when I found myself short on time but full of intention for this day, I turned to it for support.
To be clear, I am not claiming that these activities are a comprehensive lesson on the Mahican or Nisenan tribes. My goal is to offer a practical way to use generative AI to help you build meaningful experiences for your own family. It’s a tool that helps us act on our desire to educate our children, even when we’re stretched thin.
I started by asking the kids what they wanted to do for the day, and they immediately said they wanted to be outside at a park. This fit perfectly with the theme of honoring Indigenous peoples’ connection to the land. I used Gemini to help me structure activities that would serve our purposes: one to complete outside, and another to introduce some healthy foods we want the squad to start eating more of. It was a perfect way to meet all our needs with a day spent together.
I am offering these activities to you and yours as models. Feel free to adapt them to your region and use them as templates for your Thanksgiving Break or any other family day. We live in this world; we might as well make the tools in it work for us.
You can find the full activities and guides at:
http://metacocomom.com/indigenouspeoplesday2025/
Let’s continue to learn, unlearn, and build a more inclusive understanding of our shared history, one meaningful activity at a time.
With love and learning,
MetaCocoMom
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