Grown From the Same Ground: Music Education, Identity, and Indigenous Sovereignty

Abstract

In this article, I analyze the interaction between America's federal Indigenous policy and music education as a distinct policy tool of Indigenous assimilation, tracing the transition from the Allotment and Assimilation Era to the modern Era of Self-Determination. Throughout United States history, music education has served the policy interests of lawmakers toward Indigenous Peoples, creating implications for the current practice of music instruction. While it is the case that reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 have expanded and emphasized the culturally responsive practices occurring inside American music classrooms-along with professional standard-settingmore work is required to achieve true self-determination and cultural autonomy for Indigenous students. I conclude with reference to the Native American Languages Act of 1990 as a possible mechanism to support that objective.