‘Culture Trunk Project’ brings Indigenous artifacts, stories and perspective to every One91 classroom 

What do woven baskets, beaded jewelry, arrowheads, antlers and grains have in common? As part of District 191’s new culture trunks, they help bring Indigenous history, culture and traditions to life.  

District 191 American Indian Education program’s Culture Trunk Project — made possible by funding from the Minnesota Humanities Center and the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund and distributed to District 191 on behalf of Black Bears & Blueberries Publishing — will help students gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous communities, cultures and traditions, as well as equip educators to honor Indigenous history and voice.  

What are culture trunks? 

Culture trunks are traveling, hands-on educational kits filled with artifacts, replica items, photographs and curriculum materials, all designed to teach history, culture and social studies in classrooms.

Leading the project are District 191 Indigenous Specialist Madison McKinney and Indigenous Liaison Marlene Bad Warrior, who have spent months thoughtfully curating items from local artists and Indigenous merchants for grade- and topic-specific trunks.

With support from the American Indian Parent Advisory Council (AIPAC), which serves in an important advisory role to District 191, and in collaboration with the District 191 Teaching and Learning Department, the project aims to create a legacy of understanding and honoring Indigenous heritage.

The project also meets requirements for the Minnesota Indigenous Education For All (IEFA) initiative, which ensures students and educators learn about local Indigenous communities — meeting academic standards and addressing educational gaps.   

“This is not just for Indigenous students,” said Isis Buchanan, District 191 director of educational equity. “It’s knowledge for everyone.”

Rooted in storytelling, created with intention

The curated pieces are unique to One91 schools. McKinney and Bad Warrior have carefully picked items with students and families at the forefront, relying on their connections and relationships to source the right pieces for each school’s trunk. 

 “The spirit of the students, who will eventually become protectors of the pieces, is what drives us to collect each piece,” said McKinney. “The piece has a story; the artist has their own story of how it was created; and we have the story of how we obtained it.” 

Through professional learning opportunities, McKinney and Bad Warrior have introduced staff to the project and how they will be able to incorporate the trunk pieces into the classroom. They are also in the process of creating an interactive website to explore and directly connect with the items. With items cataloged and organized online, which will be accompanied by other resources, staff and students will be able to access and learn about Indigenous arts, culture and heritage at any time. 

“We want to make sure we’re making an impact, especially in the local Indigenous community,” said McKinney. “The culture trunks provide Indigenous perspective right now for the students – the pieces can be touched, felt and experienced by them.”

This spring, staff who expressed interest in becoming “Keepers of the Trunks” engaged in additional professional development. Continuous training will help the Keepers gain the confidence and knowledge to incorporate items into the classroom, as well as become mentors to their colleagues.

The plan is to slowly roll out the trunks and begin embedding items into lesson plans during the 2026-27 school year. 

Bad Warrior added: “The trunks really lay the foundation for everything else we want to accomplish, including changing school building names, developing Indigenous language classes, incorporating Dream Catcher Project training into special education, and improving graduation rates.”

“We are building roots for the children, so that they can be proud of their heritage and identity and feel like they belong.”

“The ultimate goal is making this a part of what we do,” said Buchanan. “We’re not doing this to check a box because it meets the standards. This is part of our curriculum.”