Educator Workshop, Fall 2025

Preparing for America at 250 Years: Indigenous History and Contemporary Life

Fall 2025 Holocaust and Genocide Educator Workshop

Thursday, December 18, 2025 from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Trustees Pavilion One and Two

We provide our semesterly workshops at no cost to regional educators. Breakfast and lunch will be served, along with coffee throughout the day. Professional development credits are available through the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education.

When students learn about Native American history, they often focus on events that took place in the West. But New Jersey is home to a dynamic and still-ongoing Native history! Our workshop will expose educators to new pedagogies and content materials related to Native American history with a local focus. Participants will enjoy learning sessions with Marcella “Marty” Perrano, an educator and member of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, Ramapo college professor Sarah Koenig, and more. Through the workshop teachers will learn how to incorporate lessons on local Native American survival and resilience into their social studies and language arts curriculum at varying grade levels.

Headshot of Marty in front of a tapestry.

Marcella “Marty” Perrano was the Indian Ed director for 25 years under a Title 5 Indian Education federal grant For the Mahwah & Suffern school districts. She taught history and culture to Ramapough students on reclaiming native culture with crafts, storytelling, history, and self-pride. Though now retired, Marty still enjoys working with children doing native programs and has continued working with some local schools. Marty is also passionate about her work protecting local burial grounds.

Headshot of Sarah Koenig in front of foliage.

Sarah Koenig is Associate Professor of American Studies at Ramapo College, where she teaches courses in Native American history, the American West, and anthropology of religion. She also serves as Project Director for a three-year Humanities Initiatives grant from the NEH. Dr. Koenig earned a joint Ph.D. in History & Religious Studies from Yale in 2015. She published her first book, Providence and the Invention of American History in 2021. Her next book will explore the concept of the pioneer in US history and what pioneer mythology reveals about race, religion, and Manifest Destiny in America.

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Educator Workshop, Fall 2025

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Preparing for America at 250 Years: Indigenous History and Contemporary Life