Mandy Smoker Broaddus
(she, her, hers)
Leader, Native & Culturally Responsive Education
Mandy is motivated in her work to seek greater justice, equity, inclusivity, and cultural responsiveness in schools and classrooms. She is passionate about furthering educational self-determination, effective Tribal consultation, incorporating accurate and authentic content about American Indians and Alaska Natives in curriculum, building systems that support the whole child and their families, and language revitalization efforts.
Over her 20 years in education, Mandy has served in the K–12, Tribal college, and state education department levels. Mandy was the director of Indian education for the state of Montana for 10 years. She currently serves on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.
Education
- American Indian Studies, University of California, Los Angeles graduate school
- English, University of Colorado graduate school
- Education/English, Pepperdine University
- Fine Arts/Creative Writing, University of Montana
My favorite villain in a book, movie, or TV show is...
Frankenstein
One word that describes me is...
Busy
When not at work, you can find me...
Hanging out with my son
Blog Posts
Lessons from a Public Investment in Native Language Immersion Classrooms
Mandy Smoker Broaddus writes on how Montana is creating language-immersion elementary classrooms as one strategy to restore and revitalize Native languages.
New Curriculum Recognizes the History and Contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native People in Oregon
Mandy Smoker Broaddus writes about Oregon S.B. 13 as a way for tribal peoples to have their presence validated across the state and in classrooms.
Creating a More Welcoming and Culturally Responsive School Community to Engage American Indian and Alaska Native Families
Culturally responsive systems are the key to improving outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native students in school and in life.
Networks of Care: A Conversation About Conducting Trauma-Informed Work in Native Communities
Maegan Rides at the Door of the National Native Children’s Trauma Center spoke with Mandy Smoker Broaddus about making trauma-informed work culturally responsive.
Switching Gears: Ways to Optimize an Unplanned Shift to Online Teaching
The sudden pivot to online teaching comes with plenty of challenges, but teachers may be further ahead than they realize because they have already built relationships with their students.
Native Communities Harnessing the Internet to Share Traditional Knowledge
Native communities have been showing up for education during the COVID-19 pandemic—tribal elders, leaders, advocates, and educators have been finding creative ways to engage learners.
Ways to Become More Culturally Responsive in Engaging American Indian and Alaska Native Families
Centering cultural responsiveness on youth, families and elders and making cultural connections across the curriculum are two of the family engagement strategies shared in this blog post.
Taking Positive Steps Toward Involving American Indian Families in Their Children’s Schooling
Mandy Smoker Broaddus shares a set of steps that can make an immediate impact in helping American Indian students and community members feel welcome at school.
Case Briefs & Publications
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Tribal Curriculum Development
Oregon Senate Bill 13 (Tribal History/Shared History) provided funding to all nine federally recognized Tribes in the state to develop their own Tribally specific curriculum.
Supporting Tribal College Student Success with Data
Education Northwest partnered with Stone Child College to help them better understand the educational and career outcomes its students, many of whom are members of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, experienced after they left the school.
Bringing Tribal History, Culture, and Contemporary Contributions into the Classroom
Education Northwest partnered with CCBUTI to develop a Tribal curriculum to enable students and educators in South Umpqua to learn about the Tribe, its history, its culture, and its continuing importance in the local community.
Events
Native Boarding Schools: The Lasting Impacts on Today's Native Students and Families
How do past boarding school practices and policies affect our Native students and families today? Learn from several educators in the Western region who are successfully partnering with our Native communities.
