From the early days of the Music For Kiddos blog, we’ve enjoyed writing posts that provide thorough lists of songs and resources for music educators and music teachers to utilize in their classrooms or therapy sessions. Those song lists and resources have typically been organized by themes or seasons like the blog posts 10 Songs For Community & Friendship, 10 Songs About Friendship For Kids, and one of our most recent ones 10 Fall Songs In Spanish For Kids. Although simple and straight-forward, we aim to carefully and intentionally select the songs, artists, books, and resources that we share on this website or any of our social media channels to spotlight the richness in identity, race, ethnicity, culture, neurodiversity, religious expression, disability and other lived experiences. We strive to be an inclusive and accessible place that celebrates diversity and share song and resources in which children can find themselves represented.

When it comes to songs and music ideas on how to celebrate Indigenous People’s Month in our Preschool & Kindergarten Music lessons and sessions, a simple Google search reflects what Indigenous scholars and educators have incessantly pointed to about many songs and other educational resources; they are full of misinformation and hurtful racial stereotypes.

Instead of making a list of songs and activities you can use in your classroom to honor Indigenous People’s Month, in this post we hope to amplify voices of stakeholders from Indigenous communities who have already committed their time and life to this work by pointing you to websites and resources that can help you plan your lessons or sessions to celebrate with authentic cultural context through an inclusive and equitable lens.

Something to remember is that, although November is Indigenous People’s Month, Indigenous communities and culture should be celebrated and amplified all year long.

Here are some websites, people and resources you should check out when preparing to celebrate Indigenous People’s Month in your preschool and kindergarten music lessons and sessions:

Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo shared music appreciation ideas for children to listen to Indigenous artists on this blog post. She points to various music, artists, and resources to help kids (and us adults) unlearn what we think we know and expand what we should know.
Listen to this interview with Aaron Carapella talking about children’s books that narrate the history and experiences of Native American people here.
Tribal Nations Maps is a Native-American owned business that creates maps of the traditional territories of Native American Tribes.
Read, listen to Indigenous voices and share their stories with your students like these ones highlighted on this blog post, this YouTube video and these documentaries.
Read this blog post by Michelle McCauley for Decolonizing the Music Room entitled "Giving Cultural Context to Teaching Native American Music in the Elementary School Classroom"

Subscribe to Michelle McCauley’s YouTube channel. Michelle McCauley, member of the Pyramid Lake PaiuteTribe, is a music educator, music educator consultant and Native American Dancer.

Native American Children’s Literature Recommended Reading List by FirstNations.org
15 Books About Native American Tradition and History For Children
7 #OwnVoices Native American Picture Books
How to Keep Native American Music Alive
100 Native American Children’s Books
Children’s Books by Indigenous Authors
Listen to the episode “Indigenous Kids” of the CBC Radio show “Reclaimed” with host and Indigenous scholar, Jarret Martineau for songs by and for Indigenous kids.
Listen to Native American musician Joanne Shenandoah, Ph.D.’s children’s album All Spirits Sing

Listen to the album Kids’ Pow Wow Songs by The Black Lodge Singers of White Swan, Washington.:

Watch Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie singing “Listen to the Wind Blow” on Sesame Street:

Children Songs In Inuktitut:

Indigenous Peoples Day Song For Kids by Fyutch. From video’s description “I made an Indigenous people day song for Kids and Native American Heritage Song to learn why we don't celebrate Christopher Columbus day anymore. Instrumental and Lyrics available for purchase: https://www.fyutch.com/class”