Native Americans Need Technological Skills
English 100
Kathy SS
December 2009
Native Americans Need Technological Skills
by Richard Williams
The fast changing world of technology gives the Native American a challenge to face when it relates to economy, education, and the pursuit of social equality. The Native American is on the threshold of self-determination and desperately needs its people, specifically the young people, to educate themselves and gain the technical skills and knowledge to compete with the mainstream society.
The Native people throughout the United States benefit from the gambling revenue that it brings to the tribes. In order to manage and account for this wealth we need to understand how to use the latest in computer applications, and the hardware to run these applications. The young people of the tribes need to grab on to this opportunity and put themselves through the training and education to be competent with computers, the software and the running of the networks systems. Other technical education is needed from secondary schools so that students continuing their education can bring back their knowledge and expertise so as to teach their own people in a way that will be sensitive to the issues and problems teaching Native students. Overall the need for technology on the reservation is important so that the Native community can compete in today’s society. The tribal governments and schools on the reservation now have the internet and the availability of the resources to access the information highway, computers and networking systems. We are now ready as a people to take the next step in making our own advances with the availability of technology.
Ernie Stevens Jr., a member of the Oneida Tribe and Chair of the National Indian Gaming Association, writes that “Indian gaming continues to make a difference in the lives of Native Americans across the country. Perhaps the biggest and most important impact gaming has maintained is in the area of Indian education, where Indian gaming tribes have contributed more than $4 billion per year, or 20 percent of gaming revenues, to invest in the future of Native America.”
The struggle that Native communities have is to get the people and specifically the younger generation interested in pursuing an education. Tribal members have got to use the opportunities available because at no time in history of the Native people have we had the resources to make the leap on equal ground. We have the technology available now with the introduction of high speed servers in our elementary, high school and colleges, almost all homes have the availability of a high speed broadband internet connection. Now that we have the tools, the financial resources, we need tribal members to step up and take us into the future.
We need to reinforce the self esteem of the people on reservations, to give them hope and lift the despair out of the lives of our people. Technology is one step to fulfilling this. When we are on equal grounds with the rest of the world anything is possible. We only need to stop and ask ourselves what I can do to give hope for my people. What can I do to be an example for inspiration? Does it matter if my dream comes true if I can help another fulfill theirs? We need to look beyond the self interest mode, we need think of our people, and how can I help to make a difference? These are questions we all need to ask ourselves when planning for the leap in this high tech. era.
The problems we face on reservations include the prevalent use of alcohol, drugs, criminal lifestyles, apathy and lack of personal financial resources. A high dropout rate in our schools is a major factor. The National Center of or Education Statistics (NCES), reports that between 1990-2003 the dropout rate for Native American and Alaska Native students is 25.4%. This number has held steady for a long time and another study done in the 1980’s by the University of Arizona indicated that the dropout rate was twice the National average for all racial and ethnic groups. We as a Native people need to identify these problems in a way that will encourage tribal members who struggle with various issues a way out of that life style and embrace a new philosophy of motivation. A good analogy of this situation can be related from a quote by Ian Stewart, who wrote, Does God Play Dice, The Mathematics of Chaos. In the opening paragraph he says. “There is a theory that history moves in cycles. But, like a spiral staircase, when the course of human events comes full circle it does so on a new level.”(Stewart 1) We are at that point as Native people to make the change to help us into the future. We can regain our lost dignity and be at the forefront of innovation and expertise in the technology field. We can embrace our culture and use traditional ways of the past to get us on the right path to change our lives. We have come full circle as a people and now stand at the door of equality opportunity. This moment in time has brought a sense of urgency for the Native people and we need to embrace our traditional philosophy of life. We need to put balance in our lives, to become in tune with the harmony of all creation, the ceremonies of the Native people can do these things and still we can incorporate the reality of modern day life to advance ourselves as a society. The ceremonies of renewal will help us with our personal struggles in this modern world and the education, application and use of technology will secure our future. With our lives coming in full circle we are faced with new challenges. We need to step up and face these challenges and persevere. We need to have faith that our ancestors would approve of the direction our people are going. They would approve if we used the traditional ways to get there. Technology is the future for mankind and the Native people need to embrace this.
Works Cited
Stevens Jr., Ernie. “Reinforcing Education for Tribes Through Indian Gaming Revenue” Casino Enterprise Management 2009. 14 Nov. 2009. <http://www.casinoenterprisemanagement.com/articles/2009/>
National Center for Education Statistics(NCES). 2008. 14 Nov. 2009 <http://nces.edu.gov/pubs2008/nativetrends/tables/table_3_4b.asp>
“Dropout Prevention for American Indian and Alaska Native Students”. Northern Arizona University. 2002. 14 Nov. 2009. <http://www.jan.ucc.nac.edu/~jar/INAR.html>
Stewert, Ian. Does God Play Dice?, The Mathematics of Chaos. Blackwell. Cambridge MA & Oxford UK. 1989
