Serving Native American Children and Families

Abstract

As a group, Native American people are perhaps the least understood and most underserved populations in schools. Native American is a collective term, representing a large variety of cultures, language groups, customs, traditions, levels of acculturation, and levels of traditional language use. In the context of this variation, I raise and discuss a number of common patterns in their traditions and histories: world view and belief systems, acculturation stress, school-home discontinuity, learning styles, and communication patterns, which are useful reference points from which to develop more culturally compatible evaluation approaches. The ecosystems and dynamic/mediational approaches are suggested as promising.

Poverty and Health Disparities for American Indian and Alaska Native Children

“…Historically, educational institutions have not played a positive role in American Indian and Alaska Native communities; they have participate in the remove of American Indian and Alaska Native children from their families and communities, 100 forbidden the use of American Indian and Alaska Native languages and cultural practices, 101,102 and been a part of larger efforts to undermine tribal life ways and practices through the assimilation of children into the larger society 103–105 . It is, therefore, not surprising that American Indian and Alaska Native children have often fared poorly in primary and secondary educational settings, with high absenteeism and dropout rates and low achievement and parental involvement 103,106 …”

“…[103][104][105] It is, therefore, not surprising that American Indian and Alaska Native children have often fared poorly in primary and secondary educational settings, with high absenteeism and dropout rates and low achievement and parental involvement. 103,106 Nevertheless, school settings today can play an important role in fostering American Indian and Alaska Native children's development in culturally supportive ways. 102 In light of the already described challenges faced by American Indian and Alaska Native children, educational institutions emerge as vehicles for intervention and support of cultural strengths.…”

Intervention With Linguistically Diverse Preschool Children

“…The development of social, emotional, cognitive, and communication skills is interdependent in young children. These interdependent skills develop within a cultural context, and the primary cultural environment for young children is the immediate and extended family (e.g., Moore & Perez-Mendez, 2003;NAEYC, 1995;Robinson-Zañartu, 1996;van Kleeck, 1994). Language is the major vehicle for communicating the family's values and expectations, expressing care and concern, providing structure and discipline, and interpreting world experiences.…”

Family and Cultural Issues in a School Swallowing and Feeding Program

“…Native American is a term that describes approximately 4.3 million people (Ogunwole, 2006). They comprise 700 native groups, speak many different traditional languages, ascribe to many different cultures, and embrace various levels of acculturation (Robinson-Zañartu, 1996). Native Americans are among the poorest groups in America.…”