Recently, more than ever before, society is trying to mesh honoring other cultures with not being offensive. Unsurprisingly, learning to navigate a kinder path will come with a few mistakes along the way. One school seems to be struggling with that, and it has sparked outrage amongst parents.
Newton County Faces Controversy
A Georgia school in Newton County is currently facing criticism. Following a 1st grade class sent home with a math assignment depicting inappropriate images. The homework assignment featured Lewis and Clark holding a musket. It seems the answer to the math problem was an image of Sacagawea. Parents of the students have deemed the assignment as ‘culturally insensitive’.
Rashida Aikens is a Georgia resident whose 6- year-old cousin came home with the math assignment. “It was racist, and it depicted gun violence,” Aikens said. “There was different imagery that could have been used aside from two white males with a gun and the answer was a brown girl.”
Quick History of Sacagawea
It’s hard to imagine someone not knowing the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition, but here’s a quick summary in case you don’t or maybe were homesick for that history lesson. Sacagawea was born in either 1788 or 1789. She was part of the Native American tribe known as Shoshone and grew up in the Rocky Mountains. The territory is now known as Idaho but boasted a peaceful backdrop for her upbringing. Tragically, in 1800, she was kidnapped during a buffalo hunt by the Hidatsa tribe. In 1803, she was sold or traded to French-Canadian fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau, becoming one of his 2 wives. Sacagawea would bare him a son just two months before her expedition with Lewis and Clark.
In 1803, shortly after the Louisiana Purchase, President Jefferson tasked the explorers with mapmaking and surveying the land. They were also expected to learn about the Native American tribes. As a result, when the explorers met Sacagawea, they felt she’d be an asset to their quest. The pair had already been traveling for a year when they came upon the Hidatsa-Mandan settlement. Because she and her husband spoke multiple languages (French, Hidatsa, and Shoshone), they believed communication with the Natives would be possible. Sacagawea is known for her calming spirit. During the 2-year expedition, she helped ease interactions between the explorers and the Natives.
Releasing an Apologetic Statement
A representative for the Newton County School District explained the assignment was meant to honor the explorers and their Native American guide as part of an “independent learning day.”
The School District released a press statement late last week stating, “In the math assignment, cartoon graphics of Sacagawea and Lewis and Clark holding a musket were incorporated in flash cards designed to practice math skills. Unfortunately, out of context, the cartoon graphics, which include Lewis & Clark holding a musket, may appear insensitive. That was most definitely not our intention.”
The Representative went on to further state, “The NCSS instructional team has been made aware of the concern and as a result, parents will be notified that they can remove the math assignment from the packet. We work hard to be sensitive to matters such as these and we apologize if anyone was offended by our efforts.”
Aikens has said she plans to bring the matter to the Board of Education and hopes they’ll agree to pull this assignment from the learning packet. “We need to vet the curriculum more than we are at this point,” she said.
Although the specifics of how the image is “culturally insensitive” are unclear, one thing is clear. The assignment does in fact depict guns. It’s no secret that gun laws are hotly debated between liberal and conservative states. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that the images would spark controversy. However, the School Board will still need to meet with the outraged parents of Newton County to further examine whether or not the assignment is “culturally insensitive.”
Keep Reading: M&M’s Pulls ‘Spokescandies’ After Supposed Controversy
Sources
- “Metro Atlanta parents outraged over ‘offensive’ math homework depicting sacagawea.” WSB. Audrey Washington. February 23, 2023.