Lynch, Patrick D. (1993). Educational Vouchers: Vouchers in the American Indian Educational System. This paper examines the legal and historical background of school choice by American Indian parents and its implications for school choice for a wider public. In the 19th century, American Indian parents had no choice about whether or where their children would be schooled. On many reservations, children were forcibly removed from their parents and taken to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) boarding schools, where harsh methods were used to erase their language and culture. Some reservation mission schools were favored by Indian parents because they were nearby, the children were treated better than at BIA schools, and Indian languages were not forbidden. In 1904, federal support was withdrawn from sectarian schools on reservations. After a Sioux parent brought suit, the Supreme Court ruled that tribes had the right to use their own trust funds to support reservation sectarian schools. This opinion is the basis of Indian parental choice of many kinds of schools, any of which might be supported by Indian people collectively in accord with tribal policy. By the 1970s, this choice included BIA day schools and boarding schools, public school attendance with residence in a BIA peripheral dormitory, cooperative schools (public schools with a majority of Indian students), and tribally controlled schools. BIA school enrollments declined considerably in the face of attractive alternatives. Since then, school choice has forced major reforms of BIA schools, to the point that they are now competing successfully for Indian students. In many respects, the Indian schools are now "lighthouse" schools with the potential to help the rest of the American educational system to change.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Education, American Indian History, Court Litigation, Educational Change

Sweeney, Thomas W.; Toledo, Alejandro (2003). Peru's Gentle Revolutionary, National Museum of the American Indian. Alejandro Toledo, the first Native person to be elected president of Peru, talks about his Quechua roots; his proposed constitutional amendment to ensure equal rights for indigenous peoples; financial support for Native cultural preservation efforts; and his number one priority–to fight poverty through education, focusing on basic education, women's education, rural education, and bilingual education at all levels. Descriptors: American Indians, Civil Rights, Cultural Awareness, Cultural Maintenance

Harvey, James (1972). Minorities and Advanced Degrees. The Agitation for civil rights by black Americans during the 1960's caused many colleges and universities to reassess their recruitment and admissions policies. This reassessment took place primarily at the undergraduate level. Many articles, monographs, and books appeared that considered the merits of preferential admissions for disadvantaged students and described procedures for recruitment and remedial programs. Within the last few years, the discussion has moved to the involvement of graduate and professional schools in the education of minority group students in general, including blacks, Chicanos, and American Indians. This paper examines some of the literature that deals with efforts to increase the numbers of minority students enrolling in post-baccalaureate medical, legal, and graduate programs.   [More]  Descriptors: Black Education, Ethnic Groups, Graduate Study, Higher Education

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and Labor. (1979). Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and Related Measures, Part I. Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Ninety-Sixth Congress, First Session (March 20, 28, 29; April 10 and 26, 1979). The transcript of the March 1979 hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and related measures are compiled in this document. The hearings were held to review not only the programs that expire in 1979 but all higher education programs that come under the jurisdiction of the House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education. Included in the testimony are discussions concerning: state educational opportunity programs, equal opportunity in higher education, student services, veterans programs, civil rights, Upward Bound Project, United States Student Association, college assistance migrant program, American Indian higher education, minorities in higher education, cooperative education, community and junior colleges, adult education, interinstitutional programs, library schools, developing institutions, and student financial aid programs. Testimony is presented by both government officials and institutional representatives.   [More]  Descriptors: Access to Education, College Students, Colleges, Developing Institutions

White House Conference on Youth, Washington, DC. (1971). Profiles of Youth. 1971 White House Conference on Youth. This resource book is a compilation of data about youth which was prepared for the participants of the White House Conference on Youth. The tabular data are divided into eleven sections. In the first section, the youth population, ages 14 through 24, is contrasted with the general population with respect to geographic location, race, marital status, and other demographic characteristics. In successive sections, age-related data, wherever possible, is presented on each of the ten issue areas of the 1971 Youth Conference — Foreign Relations; Environment Race and Minority Groups Relations; Drugs, Education; The Draft, National Service and Alternatives; Poverty; Legal Rights and Justice; Economy and Employment; and Values; Ethics and Culture. Preceding the tables, is a brief graphic presentation, which highlights some of the data in chart form. There are some unavoidable gaps in the statistics on minority group populations such as Spanish Americans, Orientals, and American Indians.   [More]  Descriptors: Demography, Drug Abuse, Education, Employment

Michigan State Civil Rights Commission, Lansing. (1967). Vocational Preparation and Race in Michigan Higher Education. The data used in this study were obtained from students registering in Michigan institutions in the fall of 1966. Approximately 65% of college students attending the 68 institutions completed survey cards. Objectives of the study were to determine the racial composition of Michigan college students, to identify major fields of study and vocational choice, to observe student residential patterns, and to determine the extent of student participation in Federal programs. Data for Negro, American Indian, and Oriental students are analyzed separately. Graphs and tables show enrollments by type of institution, minority group, and vocational intention.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Black Students, Career Choice, College Students

Texas Coll. and Univ. System, Austin. Coordinating Board. (1986). Summary of Student Financial Aid in Texas. Data on student financial aid in Texas are presented. Tables cover financial aid resources for students in Texas postsecondary institutions by program for 1982-1983, 1984-1985 and 1985-1986. For 17 state aid programs and 6 federal programs, the amount of funding is indicated for the state as a whole and for the following categories of colleges: public general academic teaching institutions, public health science centers, public junior and/or community colleges, Texas state technical institutes, private colleges, and proprietary schools and other Texas schools. Each of the state and federal programs is also briefly described. Additional tables summarize student financial aid by the ethnic origin of recipients, as part of the Office of Civil Rights Report. The amount of awards for 1982-1983 and 1983-1984 for grants, loans, scholarships, and work are specified for Blacks, American Indians, Oriental Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Whites, and for the total. Descriptors: American Indians, Asian Americans, Black Students, College Students

State Univ. of New York, Albany. Central Staff Office of Institutional Research. (1969). Enrollment, Housing and Financial Aids of Minority Group Students. Fall 1968. This report is a summary of the State University of New York's (SUNY) response to the Fall 1968 federal census of certain student minority groups. This census is in its second year as a means of institutional certification of compliance with the non-discriminatory provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Data were collected only on full-time credit course students attending institutions of SUNY during Fall 1968. All part-time credit students, as well as those in noncredit programs and other special opportunity and summer programs were excluded. Students from 4 minority groups were included–Negro, American Indian, Oriental, and Spanish-surnamed Americans. Foreign students were not included, regardless of their race or nationality. Tables contain statistics on enrollment, on the students' use of University-owned or University-supported housing, and on the number of recipients of institutionally controlled financial aid.   [More]  Descriptors: Census Figures, College Housing, Financial Support, Higher Education

Marker, Michael (2006). After the Makah Whale Hunt: Indigenous Knowledge and Limits to Multicultural Discourse, Urban Education. This article examines the racist backlash against the Makah tribe for their treaty-protected right to hunt whales. It then explains some core epistemological aspects of indigenous peoples' struggles that are outside discussions in multicultural education. This article also offers a contribution to our understanding of schools as political institutions in cross-cultural situations. Indigenous values foreground the moral principles that are presented in the interrelationships between human, natural, and spiritual worlds. Culturally responsive education from an indigenous perspective is sublimely ecological and place based. Such perspectives tend to detonate most multicultural assumptions about modernity, postmodernity, and progress while asserting pedagogies drawn from the "sentient landscape."   [More]  Descriptors: Culturally Relevant Education, American Indians, Indigenous Knowledge, Multicultural Education

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem. (1991). Oregon American Indian/Alaska Native Education State Plan. The Oregon State Plan for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) education was developed by AI/AN communities and educators, the State Board of Education, and the State Department of Education. The plan includes 11 major educational goals: (1) the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) should promote effective education for AI/AN children; (2) educational programs shall be developed to address the needs of all AI/AN children; (3) AI/AN parents and community leaders shall have an opportunity to provide input regarding programs for AI/AN students; (4) ODE shall develop data gathering process systems to collect and disseminate uniform and comprehensive data on AI/AN students; (5) teachers, counselors, administrators, and other ancillary personnel should be knowledgeable about and responsive to AI/AN students and their needs; (6) historical and contemporary curriculum materials that are culturally specific and age and developmentally appropriate shall be used; (7) ODE shall identify and implement nonbiased, culturally appropriate instruments to assess achievement levels of AI/AN students; (8) high quality early childhood education programs shall be developed to meet the needs of AI/AN students; (9) AI/AN students shall have equal access to all public school programs; (10) ODE shall implement strategies for reducing the AI/AN student dropout rate; and (11) the state board of education shall support the state board of higher education's policies and practices that ensure that AI/AN students are provided equal access and opportunities for postsecondary education in the state. Each major and secondary goal is accompanied by strategies for achieving the objective and related ODE responsibilities. This document also contains the Indian student bill of rights, a statement of ODE philosophy on American Indian education, and a glossary of acronyms.   [More]  Descriptors: Advisory Committees, Alaska Natives, American Indian Education, American Indians

Wilkinson Cragun, & Barker, Washington, DC. (1978). Review of Developments in Indian Law in the Courts, September 1, 1977 through August 31, 1978. Prepared for the National Congress of American Indians Convention in Rapid City, September 18, 1978. Recourse to the courts for resolution of conflicts has become increasingly frequent, particularly in matters concerning American Indians. Important to this upsurge is the commitment to Indian sovereignty and the awareness among Indians that their rights can be asserted and established in courts. The issues of Indian self-determination and tribal sovereignty are at the forefront of almost all Indian litigation, including that involving tribal jurisdiction, taxation, and natural resource questions. Tribal sovereignty is the ability of reservation Indians to make, enforce, and be ruled by their own laws. In the past year Supreme Court actions in the Wheeler and Martinez cases affirmed tribal rights to apply their own laws to tribal members. The Oliphant case denied Indians criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians for crimes committed within reservation boundaries. Taxation cases have included the authority of states and federal government to tax Indians as well as the taxing authority of tribes. Natural resources cases based on the tribal rights to manage, develop and conserve their own assets have been heard in such areas as water rights, hunting and fishing regulations, and property damage claims. This paper describes individual cases, summarizes trends, and comments on the future conduct of Indian litigation. Descriptors: Alaska Natives, American Indians, Conservation (Environment), Court Litigation

Schusky, E. (1965). The Right To Be Indian. A major theme of this report is that civil rights problems of American Indians are particularly complex because Indians can claim special rights deriving from historical circumstance. Special legislation will be required to ensure their civil rights as citizens. Social change on the part of the Indian minority and white majority must also occur to protect Indians from now existing prejudice and discrimination. A beginning in any effort to extend civil rights is a simultaneous attack on poverty and on lack of self-government. Indian communities must be allowed to manage their own affairs, to administer their own social services in the same way as any other American community. Outside help in learning this management is not only desirable but essential; yet the "help" must clearly be assistance in learning, not management itself which is presently the case. Social control in any small community is going to vary at points from the American ideals. American ideals of toleration and appreciation of differences should allow Indians to evolve their own procedures and standards of justice with the frame of reference provided by the United States Constitution and applicable legislation. Descriptors: American Indians, Attitudes, Boards of Education, Civil Rights

Wirtenberg, Jeana; And Others (1980). Characters in Textbooks: A Review of the Literature. Clearinghouse Publication 62. Studies on the portrayal of minorities, older persons, and females in elementary and secondary school textbooks used in the 1970s are reviewed in this publication. The studies are divided into the following categories: American Indians, blacks, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Island Americans, religious groups, older persons, and females. In the latter section (females), reading textbooks, mathematics textbooks, science textbooks, and foreign language textbooks are discussed separately. Also included in this publication is a review of the literature on effects of textbooks on children's attitudes, personality development, academic achievement, and career aspirations and attainment.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Asian Americans, Black Stereotypes, Elementary Secondary Education

Weber, Warren K., Comp. (1980). Multicultural, Nonsexist Teaching Strategies: Social Studies (K-6). Designed to help Iowa teachers implement the multicultural, nonsexist education mandated by state law, this resource book contains over 100 social studies activities for use in primary, intermediate, and junior high level classes. Exercises for each grade level focus on self, family, neighborhood, community, state, and nation. Primary grade group and individual activities involve students in making life size dolls of themselves, examining likenesses and differences, exploring adult roles and professional options, analyzing stereotypes, and realizing cultural differences. Intermediate grade students look at the lives of pioneer women, American Indians, community values, ethnic groups, and stereotypes. Junior high school students study Iowa minorities, prejudice, famous American women, the Equal Rights Amendment, and the concept of the melting pot. For each activity, skill area, time allotment, objectives, materials, description, and evaluation methods are provided. This document is one of a collection of materials from the Iowa Area Education Agency 7 Teacher Center project. Descriptors: Community Characteristics, Cross Cultural Studies, Elementary Education, Ethnic Studies

Moller, Darlene A. (1973). Social Research with Minorities: Some Rights and Responsibilities. Minority groups seeking self-determination have a need for and a right to participate in and contribute to a growing body knowledge of human development and human relationships generated by social science research that is not only scientific, hence "unbiased," but which does not perpetuate damaging stereotypes. It is the purpose of this paper to propose and describe a series of mutual rights and responsibilities of the minority community and the social researcher toward each other, and to discuss various difficulties in fulfilling such rights and responsibilities. Specific suggestions are delineated in charging Federal funding agencies with the responsibility of protecting and promoting the rights of both the minority group and the social researcher. A working model which is being used successfully in a minority (American Indian) community research and development project is described. Participatory decision-making, from the initial stages of a research project until its completion, is seen as the key to minority group utilization of social science research in society today, with such participation being facilitated by specific styles of research which are discussed.   [More]  Descriptors: Civil Rights, Community Involvement, Decision Making, Ethics