English 9A-BIE is published as a review draft. That is not a formality. The course was written by a curriculum publisher, not by Native educators, and no tribal education department has read it yet. Its choices may be sound, but they have not been checked by the people best placed to find what is wrong with them. The banner at the top of the course description says so, and it should stay there until review is complete.

Who should review it. At a minimum, Native educators with classroom experience in secondary English. Where the school is tribally controlled, as roughly two-thirds of BIE-funded schools are, the tribe’s education department or school board should also review it, because they hold the authority over what their students are taught. Where a school serves students from several nations, reviewers should reflect that.

What to ask reviewers to look at. A course-wide review is a large request. Make it manageable by pointing reviewers to the decisions most likely to need correction:

The corpus. Every author is Native, published under their own name by their own choice. Ask whether any text should not be taught in this community, and whether any author’s nation or history is described inaccurately.

The exclusions. No traditional story, ceremony or sacred material appears. Ask whether the course has kept that line, including in its examples and quiz questions.

The local knowledge slots. Ask whether each slot asks for the right thing, and whether its protocol for asking is appropriate for this community.

The difficult material. Removal, the courts, allotment and the Meriam Report’s findings on boarding schools. Ask whether the framing is accurate and whether the classroom supports are adequate.

Language. The course uses nations’ names wherever it can and avoids “Native people” as a single voice. Ask where it fails.

Record what reviewers say and act on it. A review that produces no changes has usually not been taken seriously by one side or the other. Changes to the course content go back to the publisher, who can rebuild and republish. Changes to how your school teaches it, such as additional local material, timing or who leads which session, can be made immediately.

Pay reviewers. Reviewing a course is professional work. Budget for it before you ask.

If you are a non-Native teacher, the review is also your best preparation. The reviewers’ comments will tell you where the course is likely to go wrong in your classroom, and who to call when it does.

When review is complete, the school decides whether to schedule the course. The publisher does not make that decision. The banner comes off only when the school confirms review has happened.