Absent Narratives

The Absent Narrative approach is a humanities-based approach. It privileges experiences and looks at human beings in their totality. It recognizes that each individual and community has a unique narrative and a unique contribution to make. We rely on humanities content as expressed in literature, history, and the arts to understand Absent Narratives as human experiences.

Humanities Approach

This approach asks people to speak only for themselves and not to represent a community. Therefore, differing opinions, ideas, and thoughts show up as uniquely as the individuals who bring them. And yet, we hear the common desire for these narratives to be included in the process of closing the relationship gap between us.

This work goes beyond traditional cultural diversity or proficiency programs because the humanities approach encourages us to relate to students through understanding the variety of stories and experiences that constitute all of our experiences.

 Restoring Relationships

Through Absent Narratives educators restore relationships and act to make available and amplify community voices in order to engage, heal, connect, create, explore, and strengthen the educational experience of ALL students.

To view examples of Absent Narratives:

Visit our Community Voices and Experiences video page, with many different topics containing interviews with people recommended through our partnership with our Legacy Partners.

For a local story, look at the Bdote Memory Map and hear the stories of Dakota people living in the Twin Cities about what this place means to them.

Also view Code Talkers: Native Words/Native Warriors, a program by our partner, the National Museum of the American Indian about translators during WWII.

For more information on Absent Narratives, click here.