Nizhoni Ward, who is Navajo and Choctaw and was born on a Navajo reservation in Arizona, recently graduated from high school in Homewood. Ward, seen July 19, said she’s hopeful a bill sitting on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk will help students across Illinois understand the Native American community. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) As someone who identifies as Navajo and Choctaw, Nizhoni Ward said her own experiences with what’s taught in Illinois public schools about her ancestry included the classic story of “Columbus sailing the ocean blue” and a first-grade play about the Indians and pilgrims sitting down for a “happy...