You are on page 1of 2

Closing the

Gap
The future success and growth of Native American students in education
depends largely on teacher-student
collaboration and awareness. Future
teachers need to be educated about
Native American history and culture to
better understand how to motivate
and teach students. Curriculum needs
to be relevant and practical to Native
American students; teachers need to
engage students in activities that draw
connections between class material
and home life. Closing the Achievement Gap will require teachers to celebrate the cultural heritage and diversity of their
students. Relevant curriculum and celebration of cultural differences may be factors that decrease
absentee and dropout rates that contribute to the gap between Native
American Students and the White
counterparts.

References
U.S. Department of Education. United States.
Department of Education. How No Child Left
Behind Benefits American Indians. Washington D.C: United States Government, 2005.
Web.
Kidwell, Clara S., and Alan Velie. Native American Studies. 1st. United Kingdom: Edinburgh
University Press, 2005. 4-96. Print.
Danner, Natalie, Abbey Briggs, and Jill Johnson. Education. Pearson Custom. Boston:
Pearson, 2011. 66-67,101,120,130,138-142.
Print.
Weiser-Alexander, Kathy, ed. "North American
Indian Timeline (1492-1999)." Legends of
America. Legends of America, n.d. Web. 4
Nov 2012.
Stadelmyer, Gianna. A United Nation: A diverse
group of children enveloped under the American flag outdoors symbolizing our diverse
country.. 2003. www.shutterstock.com, New
York City. Web. 4 Nov 2012.
Institute of Education Sciences. United States.
Department of Education. Student Absenteeism . Washington D.C: National Center for
Education Statistics, 2012. Print.

Native Americans
in Education
Although Native Americans were the
first inhabitants of North America, settlers in
the New World treated Native Americans as
inferior beings. The rich culture of Native
American peoples has been overshadowed
by attempts of European Americans to force
assimilation of Native Americans into White
society. Education of American Indians was
traditionally used to Americanize Native
Americans.
Today, the American education
system is trying to find ways to help Native
American students succeed. No Child Left
Behind named American Indians as a target
group, or a group that has been
underrepresented in the education system.
NCLB aims to close the Achievement Gap
between Native American students and their
White peers (How No Child Left Behind
Benefits American Indians 2005).
This brochure serves to provide an
overview of the historical, sociological, and
philosophical ideals of Native American
cultures, and offer suggestions of how to
better reach minority students and provide
the tools they need to succeed.

Photo by: Gianna Stadelmyer from shutterstock.com

Anna Ward

Bridgewater College
Campus Box 1784
402 E College Street
Bridgewater, Va 22812
Phone: 434-953-5161
E-mail: acw005@eagles.bridgewater.edu

Philosophical Issues

Historical Issues
Events throughout American history have contributed to Native
Americans being left behind. How No Child Left Behind Benefits American Indians 2005).A difference in culture and beliefs
between Native Americans and European Americans undergirded most of the conflict between the two groups in American
history, and continues to be a struggle in American education
today.

The belief that Native Americans were inferior beings stated by Christopher Columbus in 1492 was a widely held
belief among American settlers (Weiser-Alexander). This
idea shaped the interactions between White society and
American Indians for many years

Although the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1790


protected Indian land and life, the census taken the same
year did not include Native Americans (Weiser-Alexander).

Early attempts to civilize and educate Native Americans


were pursued through mission schools and Indian boarding
schools (Tanner 101).

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, in 1831 claimed that American Indians were not U.S citizens but were domestic dependent nations and under the protection of the federal
government (Weiser-Alexander).

Despite guaranteed protection promised in early 1830s


legislation, President Jackson had 16,000 Cherokee Indians forcibly removed from their land. About 4,000 died
during the removal process (Weiser-Alexander).

1924 Congress granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans (Danner 102)

1928 the Meriam Report was published revealing the poor


conditions and treatment of Native Americans in boarding
schools, yet is still promoted the assimilation as a key goal
of Native American education (Danner 102)

No Child Left Behind (2001) identifies American Indians/


Alaska Natives as an unreached and underrepresented
group in the American education system. NCLB is also the
first effort to track the achievement gap between Native
Americans and their white peers. (How No Child Left Behind Benefits American Indians 2005).

Native American values differ from values in


mainstream American culture in that:

Native Americans see the land as a primary source for learning

The land and objects viewed by mainstream culture as inanimate are viewed as
living persons within Native American society (Kidwell 8)

Schooling was usually informal, and elders


within the Indian community were seen as
teachers of culture, tradition, and survival
("Instructional Conversations in Native
American Classrooms. ERIC Digest.)

Informal education and interaction within


Native American communities emphasizes
small group interaction and independence.
Students find answers from their peers
("Instructional Conversations in Native
American Classrooms. ERIC Digest)

The need for small peer groups and holistic


learning modeled in American Indian communities does not always translate well into
mainstream education. At times, students
need for peer interaction can be misinterpreted as low academic desire or drive
("Instructional Conversations in Native
American Classrooms. ERIC Digest.)

The philosophical influences of Native


American culture on students needs to be
adapted in American education so that Native American students can be taught by
methods most relevant and meaningful to
them

Sociological Issues
Over time, there has been tension between
Native Americans and mainstream White society due to differences in cultural values. Native
American livelihood is tied directly to land.
Land serves as the center for spiritual and intellectual knowledge within American Indian
communities. Seasonal cycles represent time
as a cyclical process, not a linear one (Kidwell
23). The land and all beings interact with one
another; everything is intimately connected
(Kidwell 29-37). Land take over by White society, as well as differing views on the importance
of land can cause cultural tension inside and
outside of the classroom.
Attempts to assimilate Native Americans into
White society discredited the importance of
native culture and tradition. Information within
curriculum had little or no relevance to American Indian students. Emphasis on patriotism,
Protestant religion, and American language in
early American schools excluded the needs of
Native American students and discounted their
unique learning styles.
The prevalence of English-Only curriculum may
be leading to disparities in achievement between Native American students and White
students (Danner 161). Cultural Difference
Theory, attributes that low academic achievement of Native American students could be
from cultural and language differences between home and community life and mainstream society (Tanner 162).

You might also like