Sharpe, Michael N. (1998). Disproportionate Representation of Minorities in Special Education: A Focus Group Study of Professional and Parent Perspectives. Final Report III: Asian American. This document is the report of one phase of a Minnesota study to examine the problem of disproportionate representation in special education of African American, American Indian, Latino, and Asian American students. Phase 3 of the study focused on factors which have led to the underrepresentation, rather than overrepresentation of Asian American students in special education. Two focus groups were conducted, one of professionals who serve Asian American populations and the other of parents of Asian American students with disabilities. Focus groups addressed questions concerning what works, what doesn't work, what the contributing factors are, and what needs to be done. Two main themes were found in responses of both groups concerning "what works": first, the importance of involving parents in the special education process and, second, the due process system approach to ensuring input from parents. Themes concerning what doesn't work that contribute to disproportionate representation focused on the complexity and overall effectiveness of the system; referral and assessment practices; differing cultural perceptions; language barriers; and lack of knowledge by parents of due process rights. Concerning what needs to be done, the groups stressed training initiatives for both parents and education staff, a need for parent advocates to facilitate home school communication, and more community outreach efforts. Appended are a summary of key issues from the study's three phases, the action plan of Phase 1 and 2, and an annotated bibliography. Contains 46 references.    [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Asian American Students, Cultural Differences, Disabilities

Association of Aroostook Indians, Houlton, ME. (1975). Aroostook Sunshine: An Educational Simulation about Life in Maine. Designed for instruction at the secondary level, this curriculum guide focuses on simulated classroom experiences in prejudice and minority race relations and content materials relative to Northeast Woodland American Indian history and culture. Knowledge of the following are cited as major unit objectives: (1) Indian cultural contributions; (2) major highlights of Maine history; (3) minority white relationships; (4) the social problems having racial implications faced by Maine Indians today; (5) the way in which contemporary society influences the self-image of both on-and off-reservation Indians (Maine); and (6) identification of prejudice in self and others. Included in this guide are: (1) a map and description of a fictitious town (population and schools by racial distribution, economy, neighborhoods, citizen responsibilities, and group beliefs); (2) descriptions of the beliefs of integrationists, segregationists, neutralists (via social relations, education, jobs, housing, crime, and civil rights); (3) class member identity cards (simulated address, age, ethnic background, occupation, education, income, beliefs, and general circumstances); (4) terms to be identified (vocabulary); (5) 23 special research projects; (6) "pressure cards" (e.g., a strike); (7) a chart of contemporary American vs. traditional Indian goals; (8) a simulated town council meeting; (9) Maine Indian history; (10) a film rental list; and (11) a bibliography.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Bibliographies, Cultural Background, Culture Conflict

Ballard, Michael (1999). The Future of Affirmative Action. Grade 11 Lesson. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World. Executive Order 11873 was introduced in June 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson in a speech at Howard University. This order began the first of the federal government's affirmative action programs. Since that time, these programs have become a major topic among not only government officials at all levels of government but the general population of the United States. In this lesson plan, students represent particular interest groups before a Senate subcommittee charged to determine the future of federal affirmative action programs. Some of the groups represented will be the American Indian Movement, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, United Farm Workers, Christian Coalition, National Organization for Women, Eagle Forum, Republican Party, and Democratic Party. Noting that some of these groups will be in favor of affirmative action and some will be against it, the lesson states that each student's role will be to represent the position of the organization he/she is assigned and to prepare a presentation (and an essay) that has the evidence necessary to convince the subcommittee which course of action to pursue. Students are provided with background information, detailed instructions, and online resources. The teacher's notes describe the unit's purpose, explain the application of history/social science standards, and suggest teaching strategies. (Contains a transcript of the Lyndon B. Johnson speech.)   [More]  Descriptors: Academic Standards, Affirmative Action, Civil Rights, Essays

Hamilton, Ty (2003). The Representation and Appropriation of Indigenous Cultures at Ontario Summer Camps, Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education. Interviews with directors at five Ontario summer camps found that three camps exposed children to stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and to cultural appropriation. This is inconsistent with goals of educating campers about and showing respect for Indigenous cultures. Given the current issues of land-claims and Aboriginal rights, non-Indigenous North Americans must move beyond mythical understandings of Indigenous peoples. Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indians, Camping, Canada Natives

Farris, Pamela J. (1977). Equal Rights Versus Equal Numbers. Three current basal reading series were examined to determine the racial and sexual characteristics of the main characters of the stories and in the illustrations. All of the textbooks from preprimer through the sixth grade level were included in the analysis of the Ginn; Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; and Macmillan series. Eight-hundred sixteen main characters were counted in the 1975-77 editions of the three series. As each story was read the sex and race of the main character was noted. The five categories of race noted were: white, black, Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian. The total number of main characters was 816–329 females and 487 males. In every category except Hispanic, male main characters outnumbered female main characters. Three previous editions of the same series were examined to see if a shift had been made in the make up of the characters; there was a decrease of 204 in the total number of males and an increase of 104 in the number of females. When illustrations were analyzed according to the major figure, males again outnumbered females. Descriptors: Basal Reading, Characterization, Elementary Education, Ethnic Groups

Davis, Charlotte D., Ed.; Stickney, Edith P., Ed. (1972). The Emerging Minorities in America: A Resource Guide for Teachers. This book has been prepared as a specific reference and resource guide for teachers, and is designed to provide assistance in curriculum development through incorporation into the curriculum of the cultural and historical contributions of minority groups. In general, the criteria used for selection of entries for the book required that: (1) the contribution or achievement must have directly affected the state or national population in regard to its history or culture and (2) the contribution or achievement (a) must have been significant to a particular ethnic group, (b) must have furthered the cause of the minority group, and (c) must have been made or gained in spite of various obstacles. The teachers' guide is divided into five parts. The first four parts contain biographical data for selected members of each of the following minority groups: Afro-Americans, Asian Americans, Indian Americans, and Mexican Americans. Each part consists of four sections: (1) Historical Perspective (An overview of the minority group in relation to the majority group within the American culture); (2) Biographical Summaries (Specific information regarding name, birthdate, education, and a brief statement of significance followed by a biographical sketch. Each entry is keyed in the upper right hand corner of the narrative to provide the teacher with the source of information); (3) Bibliography of sources Used; and, (4) Other References. Descriptors: American Indians, Biographies, Blacks, Chinese Americans

Churchill, Ward, Ed. (1991). Critical Issues in Native North America, Volume II. IWGIA Document No. 68. This collection of articles forms the second of two volumes designed to impart to readers some sense of the crucial importance of what is and will be happening to the indigenous peoples of North America. "The Present and Future Status of American Indian Nations," by Robert T. Coulter argues from the perspectives of ideology, power, law, and human rights that the political existence of Native American nations and their governments, in relation to the United States and other governments, is legally and practically tenuous. "Who Will Govern Indian Country?" by Rudolph C. Ryser examines theoretical and practical jurisdictional problems related to the existence of independent sovereign states within another sovereignty and suggests that intergovernmental agreements recognizing tribal governments as the sole governing authority on reservations would eliminate current jurisdictional chaos. "The Political Economy of Radioactive Colonialism," by Ward Churchill and Winona LaDuke discusses the "new colonialism" (the expendable relationship of indigenous peoples to multinational resource-extraction corporations); and suggests that tribes must choose between Third World "development" and a Fourth World strategy of disengagement. The remaining articles address more specific issues and events such as the Pit River Indian land claim dispute, the Western Shoshone landrights struggle, the "Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute" and related inter-tribal conflicts, the Garrison Dam related land dispute, and the process of implementing Indian Treaty Fishing Rights. Descriptors: Alaska Natives, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Colonialism

Seig, Louis (1976). Development of the Hopi Reservation. Repeated encroachments by Mormons and Navajos upon Arizona lands traditionally inhabited by the Hopi American Indians occasioned the Executive Order of December 16, 1882 and creation of the Executive Order Reservation. However, assignment of lands was not limited to the Hopi, for the Order stated that the lands should be "set apart for the use and occupancy of the Moqui (Hopi) and such other Indians as the Secretary of the Interior may see fit to settle thereon". Though never officially settling the Navajo on this reservation, the U.S. government did not take action to prevent further encroachment, and the Navajo continued to use these lands for grazing. Section 152, Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations gave the Navajo grazing rights on the Navajo reservation, which encompasses Hopi lands, and on all Hopi lands except Land Management District Number Six. Consequently, a joint-use policy has been applied to the lands in question, but such a policy has occasioned conflict between the Hopi and the Navajo. Differences in lifestyle (sedentary vs nomadic) and the Hopi's religious attachment to certain specific land formations have contributed to continued conflict between the tribes, but Public Law 93-531, enacted in 1974, has provided for final settlement of the conflicting rights and interests of the Hopi and Navajo tribes.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Conflict, Cultural Differences

Rhoads, Robert A. (1998). Student Activism in an Age of Cultural Diversity. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper. This paper examines the organizational context in which student protest is currently enacted and finds a new generation of campus activism organized around multiculturalism. Qualitative methods are used to analyze five case studies of student protest: (1) the Mills College (California) strike of 1990; (2) the Chicano studies movement at the University of California (Los Angeles) in 1993; (3) gay rights demonstrations at Pennsylvania State University from 1991 to 1993; (4) African American student resistance at Rutgers University (New Jersey)in 1995; and (5) financial aid protests involving American Indian students at Michigan State University from 1994 to 1996. Data collection involved 110 interviews with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members and analysis of documents and other artifacts of campus incidents and student organizing efforts. Each case study is presented in terms of a general description of the particular movement and its relationship to identity concerns, the precipitating events that escalated to highly visible campus demonstrations, the student response to the precipitating events, and organizational outcomes associated with a particular student movement. The study finds that all five cases were fundamentally linked to issues of multiculturalism and identity struggle. (Contains 46 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: Activism, American Indians, Blacks, Case Studies

Cashman, Holly R. (2006). Who Wins in Research on Bilingualism in an Anti-Bilingual State?, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. Despite its multilingual heritage, the USA has a history of linguistic intolerance. Arizona, in the country's desert Southwest, is decidedly anti-bilingual although it has significant non-English-speaking groups, especially Spanish-speaking Mexicans/Mexican-Americans and indigenous groups such as the Navajo, Hopi and Yaqui tribes, among many others. This anti-bilingual ideology has resulted in the passage of legislation restricting residents' linguistic rights, such as Proposition 106 to make English the sole official language of all state business and Proposition 203 to eliminate bilingual education in state-funded schools. Several explanations have been put forth to account for this anti-bilingual ideology, from racism to ignorance to fear. In this paper I argue that researchers of bilingualism in a state ideologically opposed to language minority groups' bilingualism have certain responsibilities vis-a-vis the members of language minority groups who are the participants in their research. I suggest that each explanation, were it true, would require a different approach from researchers working to protect and advance language minority groups' rights. I conclude that it is crucial for sociolinguists to take their responsibilities to the communities they research seriously due to the pressing political situation engendered by the latest wave of linguistic intolerance and repression.   [More]  Descriptors: Language Minorities, Language Research, Linguistics, Bilingual Education

US Commission on Civil Rights (2006). The Benefits of Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Elementary and Secondary Education. A Briefing before the United States Commission on Civil Rights Held in Washington, D.C., July 28, 2006. Briefing Report. On July 28, 2006, a panel of experts briefed members of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the putative benefits of racial and ethnic diversity in elementary and secondary education. Four experts presented written statements to the Commissioners that assessed the social science literature on this issue. They also addressed whether or not racial and ethnic diversity in public schools should be mandated by the state and whether the net benefits of state-mandated diversity are different from the benefits that this diversity may yield when achieved through purely voluntary behavior. The experts also presented a number of studies to the Commission assessing the putative educational and social benefits of racial and ethnic diversity in elementary and secondary education. This volume presents the following papers: (1) The Outcomes of School Desegregation in Public Schools (David J. Armor); (2) Testimony Prepared for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Regarding the Educational Benefits of Diversity in Elementary and Secondary Education (Arthur L. Coleman); (3) The Benefits of Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Elementary and Secondary Education (Michal Kurlaender); and (4) Demographic Perspectives on Diversity, Racial Isolation, and the Seattle School Board's Plan to "Cure" Residential "Segregation" (Stephan Thernstrom). A bibliography is included.   [More]  Descriptors: Public Schools, Civil Rights, School Desegregation, Secondary Education

Streiff, Paul R. (1975). School Management Options for American Indians. In response to the Presidential/Secretarial Educational Objective of 1975 which called for a statement from American Indian communities relative to their educational management preferences, the Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP) established a program for gathering and disseminating educational management options to Indian people. A seven program series was developed by OIEP which included the following: (1) Introduction to the Series: Management Decisions in Indian Education; (2) Selecting Educational Goals and Assessing Educational Needs; (3) The Federal School; (4) The Public School; (5) The Tribal-Private School; (6) The Combination School; and (7) Another Look: It's Your Move (a review of all options). While 78 schools participated in the FY 1975 project, there has been a reluctance to officially determine community preferences as some people see the right to no decision as inherent in the definition of self-determination. Other Indian people are simply generally suspicious of any government program, believing the only real option to be that of the contract school which is perceived as just another avenue toward termination. Employing a more gradual approach to the transition period and allowing for an Indian definition of self-determination, the OIEP has extended the Objective through FY 1976 and has added 30 more schools to the project.   [More]  Descriptors: Administration, American Indians, Community Involvement, Decision Making

Rhoads, Robert A. (1998). Freedom's Web: Student Activism in an Age of Cultural Diversity. This book examines student activism in the 1990s and finds its sources in the struggle over multiculturalism and issues of social justice and equality. It is argued that identity politics is a reaction to the cultural hegemony reinforced through longstanding monocultural norms of the academy. A case study methodology used such data as formal and informal interviews, open-ended surveys, document surveys and analysis, participant observation, key informants, and artifact interpretation. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to student activism and its origins. Chapter 2 reviews student activism from the 1960s (the civil rights, free speech, and peace movements) through the acquiescence of the 1970s and the South Africa divestment movement of the 1980s. The following five chapters present case studies of specific acts of student activism in the 1990s. These are: (1) the Chicano Studies Movement at the University of California, Los Angeles; (2) the Mills College Strike, a movement against making Mills, a women's college in California, a coeducational institution; (3) the struggle of American Indians at Michigan State; (4) gay liberation at Pennsylvania State University; and (5) African American resistance at Rutgers (New Jersey). The final chapter summarizes how the case studies demonstrate development of a student activist identity and the growing influence of multiculturalism. (Individual chapters contain references.) Descriptors: Activism, Case Studies, College Students, Cultural Differences

Henry, Jeanette, Ed. (1972). The American Indian Reader: Education. Analyzing American Indian education, the book is the second in a series designed for classroom use, teacher preparation, and the general reader. A collection of the most important articles published in "The Indian Historian" during the last 7 years, the book also introduces new materials prepared specifically for the series. The contents cover 7 educational areas: approach and philosophy; lessons of history; problems of today; critique and evaluation; film and book reviews; "relevant" education; and a curriculum sampling. Subjects have been arranged for resource use and suggest a guide to study in each area. This book attempts to present ideas as well as information. Certain ideas are offered to stimulate discussion and to develop more student participation, i.e., teachers must recognize that identity with one's heritage is natural, usually a cherished possession that cannot be demeaned, discredited, or devalued. Descriptors: American History, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Civil Rights

Jeffers, Dennis W.; Marks, Andrew J. (1980). Perceptions of Media Performance in Reporting the Current Conflict in Michigan Over Indian Fishing Rights on the Great Lakes. A study was conducted to gain an indication of how the mass media are perceived in the performance of their reporting of the conflict over American Indian fishing rights in the state of Michigan. Respondents in the study were 42 participants at a conference on Indian fishing rights sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Central Michigan University in February 1980. The invited participants were representatives from the commercial fishing industry, sports fishing associations, governmental agencies, tribal councils, and educational institutions. Results indicated that (1) all participants were dissatisfied with the accuracy, amount, fairness, and frequency of the news coverage of the conflict; (2) native Americans were more dissatisfied than the non-Indian participants; (3) most participants believed that the mass media should give top priority to reporting the status of treaty litigation rather than to the political concerns of the special interest groups involved; and (4) all respondents obtained most of their news and information from the same types of media, with newspapers as the most important source of information about the conflict. Descriptors: American Indians, Attitudes, Civil Rights, Conflict