The federal government first recognized Native American Heritage Month in 1990. Since 1994, presidents have issued
proclamations each November to recognize the month. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed a resolution establishing the day after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.

According to history teacher Chris Johnson, in the 26 years he has been teaching, minority representation has always been on the state’s social studies standards. In practice, however, it varies from teacher to teacher.

“It was often at the discretion of the teacher as to how much material they brought in regarding minority groups,” he said. “I always try to include as many different ethnic groups as possible within the amount of time we have to cover everything.”

Johnson, who has taken multiple Native American studies classes at Foothill College, believes that through investigating U.S. policy regarding indigenous people, the destruction of their cultures and the influence of these communities on colonists and the modern world, students gain a better understanding of American history.

“I think that what a lot of white people don’t often realize is that even what’s considered to be American culture has been so heavily influenced by all the different types of people who have been here — that not everything is just based upon Anglo culture,” Johnson said.

Last year, history teacher David Bisbee introduced Native American Heritage Month projects to both his World History and U.S. Government classes. Each student is tasked with researching and presenting about the history of and an important figure from a federally recognized indigenous community. Bisbee hopes that these projects will increase students’ awareness and appreciation of other cultures.

“The U.S. puts out a number of heritage months, and some will get more attention than others,” he said. “That’s why I believe it’s important to look at what the state says is being recognized, and I’m doing my part to make sure these communities are being recognized in class.”

Still, Gunn alumnus Thomas Li noted areas of instructional weakness in a 2021 Advanced Authentic Research paper on indigenous representation in PAUSD K-12 curricula. Among these flaws were a lack of contemporary Native American history and the use of narratives that exclusively emphasize on disparity rather than celebrate the resilience and strength of Native Americans.

To improve the curriculum, Li proposed highlighting ongoing Native American events, bringing in guest speakers of indigenous heritage and engaging in conversation about underrepresented groups in the district.

“We don’t have to single these students out, but I think we can make an effort to promote their stories and provide a more balanced representation,” Li said.

Every Saturday, a parking lot on Gilman Street transforms into a bustling market, with over 30 California vendors selling items from produce to seafood to pastries. While all three farmers markets in the city are nonprofits, Gilman Street is the only market run by an all-volunteer board of directors, with profits donated to Avenidas, a local nonprofit that supports seniors.

According to Board Vice President Sheryl Klein, community members founded the Gilman Street farmers market in 1981 to make fresh, organic produce more accessible to seniors, as clothing stores and restaurants replaced grocery stores in downtown Palo Alto.

The Gibson family has sold dried apricots and walnuts from its family farm, Gibson Farms, at the Gilman Street market since its inception. Vendors and siblings Ginger and Gilbert Gibson make the one-hour drive from Hollister to Palo Alto each weekend. “At some of the other markets we’ve been to, people will try to get a lower price for the product, but that doesn’t happen here,” Ginger Gibson said. “We’ve made a lot of friends over the years, and the tempo of this market is really welcoming. Although it’s a parking lot, it almost looks like a county fair.”

Along with rotating vendors to ensure a diverse array of products, the Gilman Street market has adapted to the community’s needs by transitioning from a seasonal to year-round market. “We heard from folks in the community that it would be really nice to have access to the market year-round, so a couple years ago, we opened for a full year-round market,” Board President Annie Warner said. “We still obviously don’t have some vendors in the winter — none of our stone-fruit vendors have anything to sell in January — but we do take on more prepared-food vendors, and some of our produce vendors bring root vegetables throughout the winter.”

The Urban Village Farmers Market Association established Palo Alto’s second farmers market on California Ave in 2007. The California Avenue market features the most vendors of the three in Palo Alto and boasts textile and craft stalls. Both the California Avenue and Gilman Street farmers markets also feature a rotating cast of live music performers.

For those unable to attend the weekend farmers markets, the seasonal VA Hospital market — founded by the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association in 2010 — hosts a variety of stalls in front of the hospital’s main entrance.

While the market is open to the public, market manager Rebecca Barner notes that the majority of clients are veterans and hospital workers. “We have a couple of produce and bakery vendors (here), but we find that for this market, it’s more popular when it comes to hot food because a lot of the people that work here or live here come to get lunch,” she said.

While the city determines the markets’ overall layout, each market chooses its own vendors and stall setups, according to California Avenue market manager Scott Martin. Stall placement is based on California agricultural laws, and there are specific locations for each type of produce.

California Avenue market manager Scott Martin explained that the health and sustainability benefits of shopping at farmers markets often make the higher price worth it. “Here, you can actually meet the people that grow (produce) or pick it, or the ones that milk the cows,” he said. “If you buy meat here, you’re gonna know the day they ended the animal’s life and it’s only coming from a few miles away. It’s nice to know what goes into your body and know the people that raised everything (and) cared for it.”

Ginger Gibson recommends coming to the market as a fun weekend activity for everyone, regardless of whether they plan to buy food. “I’d recommend this market to anybody, even just to walk around during different seasons because the products will change, the smells will change,” she said.

Take a 3D view around the Farmers Market

Many parents are aware of the risks of the internet: A December 2022 study from the Pew Research Center found that a majority of parents with children aged 13 to 18 are at least somewhat worried about their children’s online activity, with 71% concerned about explicit content, 70% concerned about large amounts of time spent online and 59% concerned about peer pressure. However, the way that parents choose to combat these dangers vary, with some choosing a hands-off approach and others adopting more stringent regulations.

Some parents, concerned that their children are being exposed to inappropriate content, track online history and block specific social media and entertainment platforms, among other websites. Although blocking apps may give parents the illusion that they are protecting their children, this form of monitoring does not reduce — and can even exacerbate — the online dangers that children face. For already rebellious teenagers, imposing app or website bans to curb online activity may have the opposite effect, since children become more likely to attempt to hide their usage from their parents. This tendency is explained by the forbidden fruit theory, which says that there is a human tendency to want something more if it is off-limits or challenging to obtain. Teens’ hiding their online activity lead to an unhealthy relationship with technology and sever trust, since teenagers can feel as though their parents have a lack of appreciation for their privacy.

Online tracking also prevents teenagers from developing responsibility. If teenagers are only motivated by parental rules or surveillance, they are unprepared for a future where their guardians are less involved.

This doesn’t mean that parents should leave their children entirely to their own devices. When teenagers, who are still developing judgment skills, are left to explore the internet freely without parental regulations, they can form unhealthy habits that lead to lifelong consequences. Rather than relying on online tracking or blocking, however, parents can model acceptable behaviors and help their children become aware of the dangers that exist online through open discussion.

They can also set rules and consequences relating to online behavior and limit screen time. These alternatives could help teenagers feel as though their opinions are heard and encourage them to learn more about online safety. Teenagers also resist restrictions less when they are part of the conversation and have the opportunity to understand their parents’ point of view.

Additionally, limiting screen time through parental controls or setting no-technology zones can counter technology overuse, bringing teenagers out of the online world into reality. With clear communication from both sides, these practices set teenagers up for a healthy childhood without infringing on their rights.

As schools increasingly incorporate technology as a learning tool, they should also support parents in educating students on online safety, especially for younger students who are being introduced to online resources for the first time. Technology in itself is not inherently good or bad. Thus, as children mature and change, parents should be observant and respond accordingly.

There are bound to be obstacles in parenting with technology. However, by establishing connection and understanding, parents can help their children develop healthy relationships with technology and with their community.