January 30th, 2010 |
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Culture, Education, Social Issues |
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by Dan Gunderson, Minnesota Public Radio
January 28, 2010
They are only in the third grade, yet these children teach their parents and grandparents the Ojibwe language through video tutorials on the school website.
Students of The Naytahwaush Community Charter School, located on the White Earth Indian Reservation, also publish their own books, and have begun a weekly podcast.
Since their school converted into a Charter school, student enrollment has increased, more parents are getting involved, and the community has shown strong support for the school and for the teachers.
The people of the Naytahwaush community have demonstrated two important points. One, they’ve produced an excellent example of how technology can be used in constructive and creative ways that benefit the people. Two, they have shown how people can take control of their children’s education, and move their lives in a positive direction. This is also confirmation about the benefits of establishing charter schools.
I find stories like this one encouraging, especially when they concern education, motivation and communication. By the way, the teachers and all staff members of Naytahwaush Community Charter School should be applauded for their hard work in the school projects involving the children, and the community.
Definitely an article to read.
Tags: charter schools, Community, Naytahwaush Community Charter School, Ojibwe language, White Earth Reservation
January 24th, 2010 |
Published in
Business, Politics, Social Issues |
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By Susan Montoya Bryan The Associated Press / January 13, 2010, The Christian Science Monitor
The small village of Jemez Pueblo, located in New Mexico, is on the verge of becoming very rich, and not by installing a gambling casino.
The village is negotiating a deal to use tribal lands for building a solar plant, that will house a large number of solar panels. According to James Roger Madalena, the representative for Jemez Pueblo in the state Legislature,
“We don’t have any revenue coming in except for a little convenience store,…It’s very critical that we become innovative, creative, that we come up with something that will last generations without having a devastating impact on the environment.”
Utilizing natural energy as a means of producing revenue might be an alternative to gambling casinos for many tribes. Millions of dollars are spent on green energy production in this country, and this is the first step towards including American Indian tribes in this development.
Everyone should read this article.
Tags: Jemez Pueblo, money, natural energy, New Mexico, solar panels, solar power
January 17th, 2010 |
Published in
Business, Culture, Education, Social Issues |
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Written by LeeAnn Dreadfulwater, Tuesday, 06 October 2009 12:58 Cherokee Nation Communication, Native American Times
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Liana Marquis of Richardson, Texas has donated 4 Apple laptop computers to the Cherokee Nation Education Corporation (CNEC) to be used by the students at Northeastern State University. The computers are to be used specifically for the Cherokee Education Language degree program at Northeastern State. Marquis is a private citizen who has made several past contributions to the Cherokee Nation.
The biggest advantage for a Cherokee language learner is that every Apple computer sold since 2002 already has the Cherokee language font installed on it. Hopefully all Native languages will be installed on computers. This is a plus for Apple.
Definitely read this article.
Tags: Apple computers, Cherokee language, CNEC, Northeastern State University
January 13th, 2010 |
Published in
Education, Politics, Social Issues |
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By Rob Capriccioso, Indian Country Today
Story Updated: Jan 12, 2010
WAHINGTON – If one area important to many Native Americans received less attention than it deserved in 2009, it was Indian education.
This is the opening statement of the article concerning the need to improve American Indian education in this country.
Attempts have been made in this direction, an example being the meeting of Tribal Leaders on Capitol Hill in November, for the 40- year anniversary of the Kennedy Report, whose focus was education.
John Echohawk, director of the Native American Rights Fund stated,
What Indian education really needs today is an individual like Robert or Ted Kennedy in Congress who truly understands and embraces full tribal sovereignty in education…
The National Indian Education Association notes that some funding for education was received by some tribes as a result of February’s stimulus legislation.
Indian educators will make their concerns known to federal lawmakers this year.
This is an important article that should be read by everyone.
Tags: Education, National Indian Education Association, Native American Rights Fund, Washington
January 12th, 2010 |
Published in
Education |
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Hi All,
In a brief exchange with Dr. Chavers, he provided information about the latest Indian books from Catching The Dream, and they look interesting. You can view the entire brochure here.
January 8th, 2010 |
Published in
Culture, Education |
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Three new essays by Adriana Kernak, Karlie Mathias, and Richard Williams who are students at Northwest Indian College, have been added to the Essays section under Essays & Art. Technorati: 95DY6S52FJTT
January 8th, 2010 |
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Culture, Education, Politics, Social Issues |
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By Dr. Dean Chavers, The Powerless Indian Educator, Indian Country Today
Dr. Chavers is of Lumbee Indian descent, and the founder of Catching the Dream, a scholarship program for American Indian Students. He is the former President of Bacone College. He’s received two M.A. degrees and his Ph. D. from Stanford University. He has been a distinguished Consultant in Indian Education for 35 years. In addition, he was a navigator during the Vietnam war, and is a decorated war hero. He’s written over 20 books. These are only a few of the impressive things Dr. Chavers has accomplished, and continues to work at. He is a man of distinction.
Dr. Chavers begins by stating that he had written an article in Indian Country Today, 30 years ago, about how ineffective the Indian college professor was.
But that was 30 years ago! So, it was surprising to read this current article in which he describes the “powerlessness” of American Indian teachers in the education system today. In addition, Indian students are not receiving the proper education they deserve.
He states:
…For the past 25 years I have worked mostly with elementary schools and high schools in Indian country. I try to make sure the Indian students they are educating are fully ready for college. It is a highly frustrating job. I would guess that fewer than 2 percent of Indian high school grads are really ready. The schools, after all, are blue collar institutions. Most of the staff don’t think they are there to get Indian kids ready for college…
Sometimes we are forbidden to do certain things. A young Navajo woman was working in the Gallup schools 25 years ago as a tutor. She was concerned that her kids were not performing up to par, so she started visiting them at home after school to help them. When the principal found out he told her she had to stop; he called what she was doing “fraternizing,” and made it clear that it was against the school district rules…
Dr. Chavers also points out that many Indian students are mistakenly placed in Special Education programs. This stigmatizes these children for the rest of their lives. The problem ( he states ) is that many of them lack the necessary language skills.
He strongly urges parents to do the following:
Parents need to protest this placement. What these kids are lacking are language skills. They are not dummies, they are not retarded, and they are not slow. The schools do not challenge them. Most non-Indians in the schools think Indian kids are dumb. But when they have a chance to show their stuff, they out perform other students. My staff and I have identified 39 Exemplary Programs in Indian Education in the schools. It is so sad that most of the school people are still in a box made 100 years ago, a box that does not fit today’s situations.
This is a powerful article, that should be read and addressed by all of us.
Dr. Chavers current books are:
Racism in Indian Country
Book 1-2: Modern American Indian Leaders: Their Lives and Their Work
95DY6S52FJTT
Tags: American Indian Students, Dean Chavers, Education, Stanford University
January 1st, 2010 |
Published in
Art, Culture, Education, Social Issues |
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By Alvin Powell, Harvard Staff Writer, Harvard Gazette
Archaeologists at Harvard University have discovered the remnants of a wall trench, what they believe to be one of the University’s oldest building (1655-1698) an American Indian College. The Indian College was built to house Native American students,
“as part of the University’s original mandate to educate the youth of both European settlers and Native people.” The excavation was one of many and is connected to the class, “Archaeology of Harvard Yard, which is offered every other autumn. The class is taught by William L. Fash, Director of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.
There is an exhibit currently at the Peabody Museum, “Digging Veritas: The Archaeology and History of the Indian College and Student Life at Colonial Harvard,” which will remain on view through January 2011.
The Natives Americans at Harvard College (NAHC) is the current Native American undergraduate club at Harvard. It has been in existence since 1972, but at that time was known as American Indians at Harvard. The group has undergone several changes since that period. The students represent a variety of tribes and backgrounds. These include the Taino, Seminole, Umatilla, and Nez Perce tribes.
Tags: American Indian College, archaeologists, Harvard University, Harvard Yard, NAHC, Native American students, Nez Perce, Peabody Museum, Seminole, Taino, Umtilla, William L. Fash
