Natasha Verhulst: Changing the Narrative About Indigenous Music | S02E03

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Natasha outlines a few important considerations as teachers create lessons for Native American Heritage Month in November. She also shares some of her own favorite modern Native artists who are helping break stereotypes for students (and teachers!)

Natasha Verhulst is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a descendant of the Menominee Nation. She is currently teaching 4K-5th grade general music at Keshena Primary School in the Menominee Indian School District on the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin. Natasha is also currently a graduate student at Lakeland College where she is finishing her Masters of Music Education with emphasis in Kodaly. Natasha is passionate about bringing Native music and culture to the music classroom setting for children to experience and learn from. She presents regularly about approaching Native American music for districts, organizations, and institutions nationwide. Natasha worked with PBS on their project “ReSound: Songs of Wisconsin,” creating a diverse curriculum of different cultural music for educators throughout the state. The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) is featuring Natasha’s lesson plans on their website so that educators throughout the country may use them in their classrooms. Recently, Natasha worked with Lawrence University Music Education students as a mentor, where she guided the students in creating a lesson plan centered around Wisconsin Indigenous music for the Backyard Groove program. She was a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access committee member for the Feierabend Association of Music Education. Natasha was named a 2021 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellow, and recently became a member of the WMEA State Standards Committee.  Natasha also enjoys spending time with her husband and family, performing, crocheting, and beading.

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