Indigenous Nations map installed at Waller Road Elementary

Waller Road Elementary School in Waller, Washington, has installed a new Indigenous American Nations map following a Native student’s question about representation, according to reporting by Puyallup Tribal News. The map, created by Diné mapmaker Peter Klumpenhower, features more than 400 Indigenous nations with soft borders to reflect shared lands in the 1500s. It was unveiled during Family Cultural Night on May 29.

Multilingual Education Paraeducator Michael Frederickson said the school has the highest number of Native students in the district, making the display especially important. “We want that included, and we want it to be permanent,” he was quoted as saying. Principal John Huson said the map aligns with the school’s Since Time Immemorial curriculum and goals set in a memorandum of understanding with the Puyallup Tribe.