Foundations for Transforming Teaching and Learning about Native Americans

Renée Gokey

Teacher Services Coordinator

National Museum of the American Indian

Renée Gokey (Citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma) is the Teacher Services Coordinator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. She develops creative classroom resources and has created new formats for teachers and collaborations with organizations to amplify access of quality resources and teaching strategies through the Native Knowledge 360° National Education Initiative. Through her position at NMAI and in her work with her own tribal nation, Renée Gokey has worked in social justice and education issues for Native peoples and in promoting tribal knowledge systems and cultural practices.

Edwin Schupman

Manager, Native Knowledge 360

National Museum of the American Indian

Edwin Schupman, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, is the manager of Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. NK360° is a national initiative aimed at improving education about Native Americans through new classroom resources, teacher professional development programs, and a growing partnership network with Native communities, teachers, state education agencies, and other organizations. Ed began his career in the field of American Indian education in 1988 working for ORBIS Associates, an American Indian education firm, creating culture and standards-based lessons on Native American topics, training teachers nationwide, and evaluating educational projects. At the Bureau of Indian Education, Ed co-wrote a culture-based health and wellness curriculum and developed a national teacher training program. In 2004, he joined the education staff at the National Museum of the American Indian.

Colleen Call Smith

Education Specialist

National Museum of the American Indian

Colleen Call Smith serves as an Education Specialist (Materials Developer) in the National Museum of the American Indian’s Office of Education. She earned her master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Kentucky and taught middle and high school social studies for a number of years in Kentucky, Virginia, and D.C. and has experience in inquiry-based social studies instruction. Colleen supports the education office in the research, development, writing, and production of online resources for the Native Knowledge 360° initiative. She collaborates closely with NMAI departments, Native communities, and members of the education department.

Johanna Gorelick, Ph.D

Manager of Education

National Museum of the American Indian

Johanna Gorelick joined the Museum of the American Indian in 1989 (now the National Museum of the American Indian). She has served as Manager of Education/Public Programs (from 1998), Manager of the Cultural Interpreter Program (1994-1998) and Manager of the Native American Arts Program (1990-1994). She has been an Adviser at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University, an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Fordham University and Lehman College of the City University of New York, a Visiting Scholar at The Centre for Cross-Cultural Research (Australian National University) and a Scholar-in-Residence for the National Endowment for the Humanities. She earned her B.A. in Art History from Vassar College and M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the City University of New York.