For Educators

Bring indigenous perspectives into the classroom. Teaching materials that center Iranūn sovereignty in the South China Sea narrative.

Why Decolonize the Curriculum?

The South China Sea dispute is taught in AP World History, geography, and political science courses worldwide. But virtually every textbook presents it as a conflict between modern nation-states: China vs. Philippines vs. Vietnam.

Indigenous sovereignty is erased. Students learn nothing about the Iranūn thalassocracy, the Unorthodox Route, or the Carta Indigena. They graduate believing territorial disputes began in the 20th century.

"Education is colonization's longest-lasting weapon. These materials are our answer."

Lesson Plan Units

🌊

Grades 6-8: Indigenous Maritime Cultures

3-4 class periods

Introduction to the Iranūn people, their navigation skills, and the concept of thalassocracy.

Includes:

  • →Simplified Carta Indigena analysis
  • →Comparing monsoon navigation to GPS
  • →Creative activity: Design your own sanctuary island
🗺️

Grades 9-10: The South China Sea Dispute

5-6 class periods

Critical examination of modern territorial claims vs. indigenous sovereignty.

Includes:

  • →Timeline activity: Who was there first?
  • →Debate: State sovereignty vs. indigenous title
  • →Primary source analysis: Murillo Velarde Map
⚖️

Grades 11-12: International Law & Indigenous Rights

7-8 class periods

Advanced unit on UNDRIP, customary law, and decolonization in maritime contexts.

Includes:

  • →Mock UN arbitration: Iranūn heirs vs. modern states
  • →Research project: Compare to other indigenous maritime claims
  • →Legal brief writing: Argue the Iranūn case
🎓

College/University: Decolonizing Geopolitics

Full semester module

Graduate-level analysis of indigenous sovereignty in international relations.

Includes:

  • →Theoretical frameworks: Post-colonial IR theory
  • →Case study: Iranūn vs. state-centric geopolitics
  • →Research seminar: Maritime indigenous movements globally
📚

AP World History: The Iranūn Thalassocracy

2-3 class periods

Supplement to Unit 4 (Maritime Empires) centering indigenous Southeast Asian power.

Includes:

  • →DBQ practice: Analyze Carta Indigena as primary source
  • →LEQ prompt: Compare Iranūn & European maritime expansion
  • →Contextualization: Iranūn in the Monsoon Asia framework
🧭

Geography: Indigenous Cartography

4-5 class periods

How indigenous peoples mapped their world differently than colonial powers.

Includes:

  • →Portulan maps vs. Mercator projection
  • →Activity: Create a map from an Iranūn navigator's perspective
  • →Discussion: Whose maps "count" as official?

Primary Source Materials

Historical Maps

  • High-res Carta Indigena scan with annotations
  • Murillo Velarde Map (1734) detail views
  • Comparative analysis: Indigenous vs. colonial maps

Genealogical Documents

  • Simplified salsilah charts (redacted for privacy)
  • Spanish colonial census excerpts
  • Excerpts from the 2023 Declaration of Provenance

Academic Scholarship

  • James Francis Warren excerpts (The Sulu Zone)
  • Samuel K. Tan on Iranūn-Tausug relations
  • Recent journal articles on indigenous maritime rights

Multimedia Resources

  • Video interviews with living heirs (10-15 min)
  • Animated map: The Unorthodox Route
  • 3D model: Traditional padau (Iranūn vessel)

Download Teaching Resources

All materials are free for educational use under Creative Commons licensing.

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