(2006). Neshnabemwen Renaissance: Local and National Potawatomi Language Revitalization Efforts. American Indian Quarterly, v30 n1-2 p61-86 Win-Spr. Language decline in many immigrant and ethnic communities is always a persistent problem in America. To prevent Native tribal languages from becoming obliterated, several organizations have been founded to document and teach Indigenous languages, a number of tribes have crafted ambitious language policies, and Congress approved the Native American Languages Act in 1990. This article focuses on efforts at invigorating Indigenous languages generally, and Neshnabemwen specifically. The author examines the current status of the Potawatomi language, describes tribal and national language revitalization projects and programs, and considers the implications of these endeavors. (Contains 4 tables and 45 notes.)… [Direct]
(1988). Issues in Aboriginal Adult Education: Balancing Academic Skills and Personal/Political Development. Two types of programs are currently targeted specifically toward adult Aboriginal people in Australia: (1) compensatory programs that are designed to compensate for lapses and defects in the education they have received in the regular educational system; and (2) support programs based on provision of academic support, personal support, and an environment supportive of a positive sense of Aboriginal identity. Because of the unique history of their development and the special problems they have encountered as members of a minority group, Aboriginal people have a unique set of basic education political education and community development needs. The most effective way of meeting these diverse needs would be through integrated development of academic and personal/political skills programs for Aboriginal adults in order to give adequate consideration to the historical and political factors influencing their educational needs in the 1990s. At present, however, the links between… [PDF]
(1988). Establishing as the Policy of the United States the Preservation, Protection, and Promotion of the Rights of Indigenous Americans To Use, Practice and Develop Native American Languages, and for Other Purposes. Report To Accompany S.J. Res. 379 from the Select Committee on Indian Affairs. United States Senate, 100th Congress, 2d Session. This report was submitted in support of a joint resolution (S.J. Res. 379) to establish as the policy of the United States the preservation, protection, and promotion of the right of indigenous Americans to practice and develop their indigenous languages. Traditional languages are an integral part of Native American culture, heritage, and identity; history, religion, literature, and traditional values are all transmitted through language. A clear statement of federal policy is mandatory to protect and encourage diverse cultural practices. This resolution recommends that educational institutions recognize indigenous languages in the same way that foreign languages are recognized, including the inclusion of such languages in academic curricula. A brief legislative history section notes that S.J. Res. 379 was introduced on September 15, 1988 and referred to the Select Committee on Indian Affairs who recommended passage by the Senate. The Congressional Budget Office indicated there… [PDF]
(2001). Language, Literacy and Participation Rights: Factors Influencing the Educational Outcomes of Boys. This paper addresses concerns about boys and literacy in Australia. The paper notes that boys appear to be behind girls on most measures, and there are also differences between social and cultural groups–therefore, boys in high socio-economic groups outperform girls from industrial and some rural areas. It notes that girls from each area outperform the boys. The paper explains that such a pattern leaves boys, especially boys from the Aboriginal population, most at risk in Australian educational institutions while showing patterns of inequity across the whole system. The paper discusses issues of equity and difference in educational outcomes using examples like inappropriate assessment measures to suggest how boys may be discriminated against in the context. It argues for participation rights in relation to linguistic and cultural representation within the school institution; such representation has a potential to have a transformative effect on schools at the social level…. [PDF]
(1994). Cultural Negotiation and Schooling: New Idea or New Clothing for an Old Idea?. Peabody Journal of Education, v69 n2 p172-85 Win. The article critiques cultural negotiation as a model for understanding how to change schooling within indigenous communities, discussing its implications regarding barriers to careers in teaching for indigenous people, how to expand the knowledge base for differentiating an indigenous pedagogy, theoretical implications, and who controls negotiation. (SM)…
(1992). Always Together, Yaka Gana: Participatory Research at Yirrkala as Part of the Development of a Yolngu Education. Convergence, v25 n1 p23-39. Yolngu researchers in the Northern Territory of Australia are applying indigenous problem-solving processes and the traditional principle of unity to educational research in, for, and with the community. (SK)…
(1993). The Search in Australian Aboriginal Education: Recent Developments and Bilingual Education. Canadian Journal of Native Education, v20 n1 p136-47. Traces the development of Australia's educational policies toward Aboriginal children since important legal changes in 1967. Focuses on developing bilingual education, maintenance of culture and native language, and the movement toward Aboriginal self-determination. Suggests that the apparently inactive 1970s was a time of reflecting on deep-rooted problems and possible solutions. (SV)…
(1992). Torres Strait Islanders and Australian Nationhood: Some Educational Perspectives. International Review of Education/Internationale Zeitschrift fuer Erziehungswissenschaft/Revue Internationale de Pedagogie, v38 n1 p65-80 Jan. Analyzes the role of education in incorporating Australia's Melanesian minority, the Torres Strait Islanders, into the Australian nation. Reviews education on the Strait Islands from 1892 to 1985, focusing on issues related to educational standards, the inclusion of islanders within legislative provisions for Aborigines, immigration, and citizenship. (DMM)…
(1999). Making Connections through Cultural Memory, Cultural Performance, and Cultural Translation. Studies in Art Education, v40 n3 p198-212 Spr. Addresses the need for making connections between cultures, especially among Aboriginal and dominant cultures. Focuses on these themes: cultural memory, cultural performance, and cultural translation. Highlights three Aboriginal cultures on three continents (South Australia, Canada, and Taiwan) to encourage art educators and students to engage in cultural translation in cultural contexts. (CMK)…
(2005). To Be, or Not to Be?: TCUs Probe Identity Questions as They \Indigenize\ Their Institutions. Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, v16 n3 p10-14 Spr. This article examines issues regarding the organizational identities of tribal colleges. It provides views that despite being modeled on conventional colleges and universities, tribal colleges need to become more uniquely Native American institutions. A suggestion is explored that tribal colleges offer more courses of study involving tribal history and tribal philosophy. The article also questions whether tribal colleges have done enough to integrate cultural knowledge and ensure the survival of tribal languages. Included are comments from Fort Belknap Community College President Carole Falcon-Chandler…. [Direct]
(2007). Suicide Attempts among Indigenous Sami Adolescents and Majority Peers in Arctic Norway: Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors. Journal of Adolescence, v30 n4 p613-626 Aug. The prevalence of suicide attempts and associated risk factors such as sociodemographic conditions, emotional/behavioural problems and parent-child relationships were examined among 591 indigenous Sami and 2100 majority adolescents in Arctic Norway. There were no significant ethnic differences in prevalence of suicide attempts. In both ethnic groups, suicidal ideation, anxious/depressed problems and eating behaviour problems were associated with suicide attempts. Cross-cultural differences in risk factors associated with suicide attempts existed. For Sami adolescents, factors diverging from the traditional cultural norms were associated with suicide attempts, such as alcohol intoxication, single-parent home and paternal overprotection (p less than or equal to 0.05). Vocational studies, not living together with parents, current smoking and experienced sexual intercourse were ethnic specific risk factors associated with suicide attempts among majority peers (p less than or equal to… [Direct]
(2002). Changing the Faces of Mathematics: Perspectives on Indigenous People of North America. This book provides resources and practical ideas for classroom teachers, administrators and principals, curriculum supervisors and program developers, and ethnomathematicians and researchers who wish to develop a deeper understanding of the mathematics and pedagogy of the indigenous peoples of North America. Chapters 1-6 focus on the theoretical foundation that undergirds indigenous ethnomathematics. Chapter 7 addresses the issue of portfolio assessment. Chapters 8-17 include classroom lessons and activities that elementary and middle school teachers will find useful while chapters 18-24 focus on middle school and high school topics. (KHR)…
(2002). Unstated Features of Cultural Deprivation or Discontinuity: Culture Standards for Administrators and Teachers of Aboriginal Students. Journal of Educational Administration and Foundations, v16 n2 p10-36. Examines a curriculum-development project utilizing participatory research to address cultural standards for non-Aboriginal administrators and teachers of Aboriginal schools. Explores premise that to work effectively with Aboriginal children and to enable them to achieve desirable academic standards, administrators and teachers need to abide by certain cultural standards and benchmarks. (Contains 35 references.) (Author/PKP)…
(1999). Sustaining Indigenous Languages in Southeastern Peru. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, v2 n3 p198-213. Examines Muhlhausler's thesis that to understand the decline of small languages, one must comprehend ecological factors comprising each language's support system. Discusses the Harakmbut peoples of southeastern Peru, examining their concept of territory, which provides context for understanding environments that support Harakmbut and Spanish. Considers the role of intercultural bilingual education in the context of increasing Spanish and decreasing Harakmbut. (SM)…
(2007). University-Qualified Indigenous Early Childhood Teachers Voices of Resilience. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, v32 n3 p17-25 Sep. Demonstrating persistence and resilience, increasing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood teachers are gaining university qualifications. This paper explores factors that support and constrain these students on the path to their degrees. Investigated through a cycle of interviews and focus groups, otherwise perceived as taking time to chat and yarn, the data speaks through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices. Graduates from a cohort-specific three-year degree program, and several of their colleagues from an earlier program, share their reflections. The importance of family, community and infrastructure support is apparent, as well as recognition of complexities of "both ways" learning (Hughes, Fleet & Nicholls, 2003) and cultural boundary crossing (Giroux, 2005). Highlighting salient factors is critical in efforts to create and maintain conditions in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can gain university qualifications and… [Direct]