Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Aging. (1988). Mental Health and the Elderly: Issues in Service Delivery to the American Indian and the Hispanic Communities. Part II. Hearing before the Select Committee on Aging. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, Second Session (Denver, Colorado). This field hearing by the House Select Committee on Aging produced testimony on the mental health problems and service delivery needs of American Indian and Hispanic American elderly. A director of research and two American Indian advocates: (1) pointed out the high rate of depression among Indian elderly due to physical impairments and deprived living conditions; (2) described service-related and cultural factors contributing to low use of mental health services by Indian elderly; (3) outlined the specific problems and stresses of urban Indians; and (4) proposed legislative and service delivery strategies. A Colorado state official outlined barriers to delivery of mental health services to Hispanic elderly. An Hispanic advocate emphasized the need for outreach programs with bilingual, bicultural staff. The panel of witnesses discussed: (1) the need for home health agencies and community-based services for Hispanic and Indian elderly; (2) language and cultural barriers between generations, resulting intergenerational conflict, and mental health consequences for the elderly; and (3) the right of each tribe to its own definition of "Indian." The Committee Chairman called for Indian organizations to collaborate and draft legislative proposals covering the relevant needs of the Indian community, and asked Hispanic organizations to do likewise. Testimony from four mental health professionals covered funding issues, training to provide culturally sensitive outreach staff, and the particular problems and needs of the rural elderly.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Federal Aid, Health Needs, Health Services

McCoy, Melody (1999). Federal and State Laws Regarding Tribal Education Departments, 1984-1999. Indian Education Legal Support Project: "Tribalizing Indian Education.". The Indian Education Legal Support Project emphasizes the legal rights of tribes to control the formal education of their members. The project's work includes developing tribal education laws and reforming state and national Indian education legislation. This document examines federal and state statutory provisions on tribal education departments and details their legislative history. Following a brief overview of tribal education departments in the 1980s and 1990s, specific provisions of various federal laws are reviewed, including the Education Amendments of 1984 to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975, the Augustus F. Hawkins-Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988, Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994, the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, and other public laws and resolutions. These laws are primarily concerned with federal funding of tribal education departments, their treatment as local education agencies, provision of training and technical assistance, research on at-risk students, access to the Internet, and collaboration among tribes and other educational institutions and agencies. Wisconsin is the only state with legislation specifically mentioning tribal education departments. This law calls for tribal input in the appointment of an advisory committee on American Indian language and culture programs. Descriptors: American Indian Education, Educational Legislation, Elementary Secondary Education, Federal Aid

Sando, Joe S. (1978). Issues Curriculum. A program for teaching techniques of critical thinking on issues concerning American Indians was developed for students at Albuquerque Indian School. It was designed to include not only the students but also their families with learning activities that required consultation in search of answers or understanding. The first issue presented sought to help students define a strong Indian culture, identify the factors that create it, and analyze their own particular situations. Learning activities included class discussions, supplementary reading, and written reports. Another section is devoted to the philosophy of original Indian education as it discusses Carlisle Institute and the Americanization of the American Indian. Other units deal with aspects of Indian land holding, Indian water rights, and the long fight of the Taos Indians to regain ownership of Blue Lake. A section entitled "The New World" compares Native American attitudes toward the land with those held by European settlers. Citing Native Americans as the original conservationists, it points out that they inhabited this continent for thousands of years in harmony with nature; the Europeans, in contrast, took but 500 years to wreck the land, destroy the wildlife, deplete the resources and pollute the environment. Each of the units of this program features goals, content material, resource materials, and learning activities. Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, American Indian Studies, American Indians

Bare, John; Meek, Anne; Frase, Mary (1998). Racial and Ethnic Classifications Used in U.S. Public Schools. Issue Brief. Since 1977, federal agencies have followed standards set by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for collecting and presenting data on racial and ethnic populations. A policy directive at that time established four discrete racial categories: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian or Pacific Islander; Black; and White. As an alternative, OMB allowed five categories: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian or Pacific Islander; Black, not of Hispanic origin; Hispanic, and White, not of Hispanic origin. Since 1977, however, the racial and ethnic makeup of the country has changed, giving rise to the question of whether these five standard categories reflect the present population adequately. OMB and Congress have begun efforts to change the standards before the dress rehearsal for the 2000 Census. Changes in racial and ethnic makeup present special problems for the public schools, which collect data for various reporting purposes. The National Center for Education Statistics and the Office for Civil Rights sponsored two surveys, one at the school level, and the other at the state level about the racial and ethnic classification used to collect and report student data. The majority of the public schools, 55%, reported that they collect data only when a student initially registers at a school in the district. Another 17% reported that they also collect data when a student changes schools. Twenty-five percent of the schools collect racial and ethnic data annually. Seven percent of the schools reported using racial or ethnic designations in addition to the five standard categories, and these schools were more likely to be in the West. The category most frequently added was "Filipino." Other categories mentioned were "Middle Eastern" and various specific Asian nationalities, but none of these was mentioned by more than 4% of the schools. In the state survey, eight states reported using additional categories, with five using a "multiracial," category, and one an "other" category. Taking these responses into account, OMB is proposing new standards that classify racial populations as: (1) White; (2) Black or African American; (3) Asian; (4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and (5) American Indian or Alaskan Native. For data on ethnicity, the categories are Hispanic or Latino and Not Hispanic or Latino. OMB did not add a multiracial category, but is allowing individuals to report more than one race when they self-identify. (Contains two tables, one figure, and five references.)   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Asian Americans, Blacks, Classification

Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, DC. (1977). The Unfinished Business, Twenty Years Later. A Report Submitted to The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by its Fifty-One State Advisory Committees. This reference work details state by state progress in civil rights since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The 51 reports (50 states plus the District of Columbia) reiterate the major problems of the past two decades including education and employment. Other civil rights issues identified by the State advisory committees were: women's issues; special groups, for example, blacks, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Americans; housing; civil rights enforcement; indigenous groups, for example, American Indians, Native Alaskans, Native Hawaiians; prisons; police-community relations; economic issues; voting and political participation; information and communications; migrants; health and safety; and undocumented aliens. The consensus of this work is that although the denial of civil rights to minority citizens is less blatant than it was twenty years ago, many of the old problems are far from remedied. Furthermore, other concerns which were barely recognized at the time the Civil Rights Act became law, have now surfaced as pressing issues. It is concluded that resolution of civil rights problems will require strict dedication to the carrying out of constitutional principles and legal mandates. Descriptors: Asian Americans, Blacks, Civil Rights, Civil Rights Legislation

Gagnon, Douglas; Mattingly, Marybeth J. (2012). Beginning Teachers Are More Common in Rural, High-Poverty, and Racially Diverse Schools. Issue Brief No. 53, Carsey Institute. This brief considers whether the concentration of beginning teachers in a district is associated with the district's poverty rate, racial composition, or urbanicity. Authors Douglas Gagnon and Marybeth Mattingly report that poor communities have moderately higher percentages of beginning teachers than communities with lower poverty rates and that a higher concentration of minority students in a district is associated with a higher percentage of beginning teachers. Large cities, remote towns, and rural districts have higher percentages of beginning teachers than midsized-small cities, suburbs, and fringe-distant town districts. The combined impact of poverty, race, and urbanicity has a substantial effect on the probability that a district has a critically high percentage of beginning teachers. A high percentage of beginning teachers likely reflects higher teacher turnover in the district, and could suggest issues of teacher quality. The brief uses combined data from the 2009-2010 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), the 2009 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), and the 2010 U.S. Census to form a nationally representative data source of 6,569 districts.   [More]  Descriptors: Teacher Effectiveness, Racial Composition, Minority Group Students, Beginning Teachers

Bureau of Indian Affairs (Dept. of Interior), Albuquerque, NM. (1973). Evaluation of Student Rights and Responsibilities Programs. Research and Evaluation Report Series No. 25. Student rights encompass all specific rights which the courts recognize as being vested in students. These may be derived from applicable Federal, State, and/or local laws, including school regulations. On June 22, 1973, an ad hoc committee (50 percent American Indian) was convened in Albuquerque, New Mexico to review a special report form prepared for evaluating Indian student rights and responsibilities. The committee was concerned with the organization of these codes and their compliance with local, State, and Federal legal and technical requirements. The form was distributed to 33 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) secondary schools and dormitories, 20 of which responded. This paper discusses the philosophical extent of student rights and the past and present status of rights and responsibilities in BIA and non-BIA schools. Some findings are: almost all schools have some type of written handbook or guide; 3/4 have some type of grievance procedure; and all but three apply the Interim Procedure for student expulsions. The appendixes, which comprise the bulk of the document, give: references to BIA school management policies and disciplinary procedures; the constitution for BIA high schools operated within the Navajo area; the report form sent to the schools; a roster of the schools; information relative to the Phoenix Meeting on Student Rights and Responsibilities; and a bibliography of reports related to Indian student rights prepared within the past three years.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Boarding Schools, Court Role, Discipline Policy

Losen, Daniel J.; Martinez, Tia Elena (2013). Out of School and Off Track: The Overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools, Civil Rights Project / Proyecto Derechos Civiles. In this first of a kind breakdown of data from over 26,000 U.S. middle and high schools, the authors estimate that well over two million students were suspended during the 2009-2010 academic year. This means that one out of every nine secondary school students was suspended at least once during that year. As other studies demonstrate, the vast majority of suspensions are for minor infractions of school rules, such as disrupting class, tardiness, and dress code violations, rather than for serious violent or criminal behavior. The authors are publishing this report because of the serious academic implications these statistics have for students who attend schools with high suspension rates. They believe greater awareness will help produce more effective approaches that create safe, healthy, and productive learning environments, which research indicates is best accomplished without resorting to frequent out-of-school suspensions. Done well, efforts to reduce suspensions should also improve graduation rates, achievement scores, and life outcomes, while also decreasing the rate of incarceration for juveniles and adults. The findings of this report also highlight critical civil rights concerns related to the high frequency of secondary school suspensions. They focus on secondary schools because children of color and students from other historically disadvantaged groups are far more likely than other students to be suspended out of school at this level. Appended are: (1) Data Omissions; (2) Methods and Treatment of Errors; and (3) School District Reports. Individual sections contain tables, figures and footnotes. [For "Out of School and Off Track: The Overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools. Executive Summary," see ED541731.]   [More]  Descriptors: Suspension, Dress Codes, Student Behavior, School Buildings

Western Regional Environmental Education Council. (1989). Indians of Washington and the Environment. A Collection of Information and Curriculum Lessons To Assist Educators in Teaching about Tribal Natural Resource Relationship. The American Indian tribes of Washington have a unique relationship with natural resources, one of reverence and reliance. While non-Indian people traditionally approach natural resources from the perspective of ownership, tribal peoples view natural resources as components of life and culture. The survival of Washington tribes depends upon a sustainable natural resource base. This booklet contains lesson plans and classroom activities that help students become aware of tribal ways of life and historical and contemporary interactions with the natural world and non-Indian people. Major curriculum concepts include: (1) the diversity and importance of Washington's natural resources; (2) diverse uses of natural resources by people; (3) the influence of natural resources on cultures; (4) the role of culture in the development of controversial issues and the communication process for resolving such issues; (5) the finite nature of resources and related decision making; and (6) values clarification about the web of interrelationships among humans, fish, wildlife, and the environment. Lessons cover Washington geography, climate, and wildlife; daily life of Indians and first White settlers; sources of clothing; treaties; watershed, wildlife, and forest management; water quality; salmon fishing and Native fishing rights; American Indian reservations; historical timelines; and history, culture, and legends of the Quinault, Nisqually, Squaxin, and Tulalip tribes. Twenty-three additional resources are listed. This booklet contains maps, data tables, and graphics.    [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indians, Class Activities, Conservation (Environment)

National Advisory Council on Indian Education, Washington, DC. (1976). Indian Education: The Right to Be Indian. The Third Annual Report to the Congress of the United States from the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. Constituting the third annual report of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE), this document is divided into the following six sections: (1) The Lessons of Title IV of the Indian Education Act: Needs and Achievements (full funding for Title IV; the role of the American Indian Policy Review Commission; direct Federal funding; vocational and post secondary education; resolutions of the Ad Hoc Committee of Native Americans Concerned with Indian Education; and the progress of 15 Title IV-Part A projects, presented via abstracts); (2) Toward Greater Indian Parent Committees and Tribal Involvement in Title IV (the means by which greater parent and tribal involvement may be effected); (3) Toward a More Effective Role of the NACIE (insuring NACIE's intended autonomy; NACIE's Federal Charter and the Executive Branch's circumvention of congressional will; clarification needs; NACIE's survival struggle; implementation of the Indian preference laws; and equal employment opportunities); (4) Definition of an American Indian: Title IV of the Indian Education Act of 1972 (suggested changes in the definition and the status of the council's investigation of the legal use of the term "Indian"); (5) NACIE Recommendations and Resolutions for 1975 (10 problem specific recommendations); (6) Appendix (extensive documentation re: funding; special and post secondary education; legislation; etc.).   [More]  Descriptors: Accountability, Advisory Committees, Agency Role, American Indians

National Congress of American Indians, Washington, DC. (1978). NCAI Involvement in Intergovernmental Tribal-State Relations. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) seeks to play a lead role in the development of relations between various state governmental entities and tribal governments; this assortment of documents treats aspects of those relations. A platform statement and resolution on Indian affairs adopted by the National Association of Counties supports tribal self government and pledges cooperation with tribes for the provision of constituent services within individual jurisdictions. The resolution calls for Congressional definition on the question of tribal jurisdiction over non-Indian people and property within reservations. Issues mentioned include voting by and representation of non-members, reservation boundaries, due process of law, land use planning and zoning, distribution of water rights, environmental quality standards, and questions of equal taxation. NCAI's participation as an advisor in the National Governor's Association Task Force is invited in a letter from Governor Scott Matheson, chairman of that group. A brief on the task force describes historic shifts in governmental policy regarding American Indians and advocates negotiation and compromise agreements reached between states and tribal governments as far superior to solutions offered through federal litigation or legislation. Descriptors: Alaska Natives, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Criminal Law

Dion, Susan (1990). Current Federal Indian Law and Its Precedents. Wisconsin Woodland Indian Dissemination Project. Bulletin No. 0408. This curriculum unit introduces students to the relationship between the federal government and American Indians through five narrative descriptions of the related legislation, laws, and court interpretations. The narratives cover: (1) the historical basis of federal Indian law and the government-to-government relationship; (2) legal definitions of Indian Country, Indian tribes, and individual Indian identity; (3) tribal sovereignty, powers of tribal governments, and federal limitations of tribal powers; (4) federal-Indian treaties, treaty effects on Indian rights, and Supreme Court interpretations; and (5) recent federal Indian laws, including the Indian Civil Rights Act, the Tribal Education Act, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, and the Indian Child Welfare Act. The narratives are accompanied by student worksheets. This document also contains guidelines for instruction, teacher references, a list of tribal contacts in Wisconsin, definitions of key concepts, and suggestions for classroom group or individual projects.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian History, American Indians, Court Litigation, Federal Indian Relationship

Deyhle, Donna; McCarty, Teresa L. (2007). Beatrice Medicine and the Anthropology of Education: Legacy and Vision for Critical Race/Critical Language Research and Praxis, Anthropology & Education Quarterly. Over a 50-year professional career, Dr. Beatrice Medicine never failed to assert the importance of Indigenous language rights or to challenge racism in the academy, public schools, and society. She urged educational anthropologists to confront racism in our research with Indigenous peoples. She challenged linguicism and urged the teaching of Native American languages in schools. Bea Medicine's legacy provides a compelling vision for the future of the field of educational anthropology, particularly in the domains of critical race theory and critical language studies. In this article, we consider both the legacy and the vision of Beatrice Medicine as they guide us to new arenas of research and praxis.   [More]  Descriptors: Language Research, Educational Anthropology, Indigenous Populations, Indigenous Knowledge

Pepper, Floy (1990). Indians in Oregon Today. A 4th Grade Social Studies Supplement. Designed to provide current, accurate information to teachers and students about the American Indian people living in the state of Oregon, this publication focuses on 10 learning concepts: (1) Indian tribes in Oregon today; (2) Indian people's special relationship with the United States government; (3) the change and impact brought by newcomers to Oregon Indians; (4) Indian roles in Oregon's culture and economy and the world; (5) differences in Indian tribes' languages, customs, and ways of life from each other and other ethnic groups; (6) the changes reservations caused for Indian people; (7) how termination affected Indian tribes of Oregon (some tribes are working for restoration); (8) different forms of government for Indian people: tribal councils, city, state, and U.S.  government; (9) Indian people's respect for the environment (preservation efforts toward the environment continue today); (10) the importance of Indian hunting, gathering, and fishing rights. Student activities, maps, and charts are used to develop the concepts. Two appendices are included: (1) American Indian/Alaskan Native United States Historical Timeline; and (2) Glossary. Descriptors: American Indian History, American Indian Studies, Charts, Concept Teaching

Gerlach, Ernest J.; And Others (1975). Indian Employment in New Mexico State Government. Examining employment of American Indians in New Mexico state government, the New Mexico Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found little change between small numbers of Indian employees in 1972 and 1974 figures. Though the State Personnel Office has made efforts to institute new programs and policies related to Indian employment, major deterrents remain in the lower Indian educational level, location of state jobs away from Indian populations, and written qualification tests that are not always job related and which contain language and cultural barriers. Committee recommendations were made for each of the following findings: (1) only 2 percent of state government employees are Indians; (2) these employees are concentrated in three agencies (Employment Security Commission, Health and Social Services, Highway Department), and are predominately in lower paying positions; (3) specific standards are lacking for required state agency annual affirmative action plans; (4) written tests are still the main job qualification instrument; (5) an outreach program responsible for contacting and recruiting minority applicants and upgrading employees has had little impact; (6) no systemwide cultural awareness program exists to educate state personnel about Indian values and cultural needs; and (7) lack of consistent state effort to actively recruit American Indians for employment.   [More]  Descriptors: Affirmative Action, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Cultural Awareness

Ortiz, Roxanne Dunbar, Ed. (1979). Economic Development in American Indian Reservations. Development Series No. 1. A collection of 13 scholarly articles and essays, this book makes available hard-to-find information and theories about American Indian economic development. Part I, "The Land and the People", emphasizes cultural traditions and beliefs of Indian people and traces the development of the concept of sovereignty and its applicability to Indian self determination. Part II, "Historical Background for Underdevelopment", contains a discussion of the significance of United States economic development in relation to Indian land policy, a summary of the history of Indian water rights, and an analysis of the colonial context as a framework for studying the historical underdevelopment of American Indian economies. Part III, a case study of the Navajo Nation, discusses (1) the Navajo postoral economy and the traditional-modern division, (2) underdevelopment and dependency in the Navajo economy, (3) strategies for increasing Indian governmental income and building a stable economic base, (4) Navajo government taxation of corporations operating in the reservation as a means to augment income and assert sovereignty, and (5) fundamental changes in the Navajo government resulting from 20 years of dependency on mineral leases and royalties. Part IV contains three studies of the politics of Indian underdevelopment and development. Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Colonialism

McCarthy, Theresa (2010). De'ni:s nisa'sgao'de?: Haudenosaunee Clans and the Reconstruction of Traditional Haudenosaunee Identity, Citizenship, and Nationhood, American Indian Culture and Research Journal. Among the Haudenosaunee, the clan system is an ancient tradition of matrilineal descent that has maintained the social, political, economic, and spiritual cohesion of the people for centuries. Following the American Revolution and the relocation of large numbers of Haudenosaunee people from America's traditional homelands in what is now New York State, this system became disrupted. Much of the damage was enacted through nineteenth-century federal policies supporting the dispossession of territories, which imposed definitions of citizenship and leadership on the nations or tribes. As a result, many Haudenosaunee gradually lost a sense of who they are as a distinct people with relationships and responsibilities to each other that transcend the Canadian/American border, as well as their currently bounded reserve/reservation communities. Although it is important to enumerate these consequences, it is also critical to recognize that disruptive colonial frameworks continue to reside in a context in which the Haudenosaunee paradigms that anchor cultural, political, and land-based relationships have never been successfully effaced. Illuminating this continuity through the lens of a community-based clan research and education initiative at Six Nations of Grand River in Ontario, this article presents a fuller expression of the meaning of clans evidenced by attention to Haudenosaunee languages and translation and the cultural narratives comprising historic Haudenosaunee traditionalism. The following examination of grassroots and scholarly interventions, alongside contexts of displacement and relevance, corresponds with the concomitant pedagogical processes of reflection, action, and transformation encouraged by the clan research educational initiative. Emphasizing the viability of clan-based knowledge in transforming and transcending conceptual boundaries and more tangible borders that continue to affect the Haudenosaunee today, this article explores the ongoing practical relevance of this ancient system to current challenges involving assertions of citizenship, leadership, territorial mobility, and land rights.   [More]  Descriptors: Citizenship, American Indian Languages, Foreign Countries, Leadership

Beck, David (1988). The Chicago American Indian Community, 1893-1988. Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Sources in Chicago. This annotated bibliography identifies and describes documentary evidence of Chicago's American Indian population since the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Sources include studies and reports generated by Indian community organizations and agencies, community newsletters, newspapers, oral histories, grant applications, personal papers, and documents of government and private agencies. Most sources are from the period since the 1950s, when the availability of factory jobs and a federal Indian relocation program encouraged Indian migration to Chicago and other cities. Chicago's Indian population grew from 775 in the 1950 census to an estimated 20,000 today. The richest sources for late 19th and early 20th century history are the papers of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, surgeon, newspaper editor, and staunch advocate of Indian rights. The topical annotated bibliography contains 2,267 entries in six sections: (1) Chicago Indian community history (general, events and activities, local organizations, health, education, economic development, religion, social and cultural life, activism and protest, media, and delegations passing through Chicago); (2) Chicago's role in national Indian organizations; (3) national conferences sponsored in Chicago; (4) leaders and people; (5) government and Chicago's Indian community; and (6) newspapers. Another section describes the relevant holdings of 12 area libraries, universities, and other repositories. An introduction provides a brief history of Chicago's Indian population and instructions for using the bibliography. Appendices contain the locations of repositories, a list of American Indian organizations, a chronology of community history, and the 1832 treaties in which the Potawatomi tribe ceded the Chicago area to the United States. Descriptors: American Indian Education, American Indian History, Annotated Bibliographies, Community Organizations

Brooks, Barbara J.; And Others (1980). Getting Uncle Sam to Enforce Your Civil Rights. Clearinghouse Publication 59. Revised. This is a guide designed to aid in the filing of complaints against discriminatory practices. It provides information on how and where to file complaints about discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion or national origin. Discrimination because of age, handicap, lack of citizenship, institutionalization, military service, and status as an American Indian are also covered. Areas of concern include: (1) credit; (2) education; employment and training; (3) housing; (4) law enforcement; and (5) other Federally-funded programs. Addresses of both regional and local offices of Federal agencies are provided.   [More]  Descriptors: Age Discrimination, Civil Rights, Civil Rights Legislation, Compliance (Legal)

Lippitt, Linda; And Others (1993). Integrating Teaching Styles with Students' Learning Styles (Series of 14). This document begins with a report of a study of the learning styles of American Indian students at the Sante Fe Indian School (New Mexico). Santa Fe Indian School is a secondary school of 550 students, primarily from the Pueblo communities of New Mexico. A learning style assessment instrument was administered to 459 students, Grades 7-12, in 4 tribal language groups. A preferred instructional style was not found overall or for any of the tribal language groups. Analysis of student profiles suggests that teaching strategies and curriculum should focus on: small-group learning activities; developing a positive rapport between teachers and students; augmenting information-processing skills that address right and left hemispheric approaches to learning; and developing a flexible instructional delivery that incorporates information on individual learning styles. Following the report, 14 social studies and language arts lesson units, developed for Indian middle school students as a result of the study are presented, based on the 4MAT instructional model that acknowledges a diversity of learning styles and incorporates both right and left hemispheric modes of learning. The units cover various topics related to American Indian history and culture, cultural exchange, outdoor education, study skills, and thinking skills. Each unit consists of lesson plans and learning activities related to creating and analyzing an experience; integrating experience with analysis; teaching, practicing, and personalizing the concept; analyzing personal application; and celebrating knowledge gained.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, American Indians, Brain Hemisphere Functions

Wiley, Terrence G. (2014). Diversity, Super-Diversity, and Monolingual Language Ideology in the United States: Tolerance or Intolerance?, Review of Research in Education. Each new demographic shift and economic or social change bring seemingly new issues into popular and political focus–questions, debates, and policies about the role of language in education and society and the recent claims that transnational migrations and globalization are resulting in unprecedented forms of ethnolinguisic "super-diversity." This chapter addresses issues related to language diversity, policy, and politics within the U.S. context and notes recent trends and future projections. The first section takes as a point of departure a seemingly simple question from a popular television game show to illustrate some of the complexity in posing seemingly simple historical questions. The second major section considers how ethno-racial labeling and linguistic diversity have been constructed through time in U.S. Census data and considers their implications for claims regarding the allegedly unprecedented superdiversity of the present. The third part addresses how English became dominant during the colonial period, thereby establishing its position as the common language prior to the American Revolutions. The fourth section revisits issues and themes addressed in some of my work on the history of language policy, politics, rights, and ideologies (Ovando & Wiley, 2007; Wiley, 1998, 1999a, 1999b, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013a, 2013b; Wiley & Lukes, 1996). In particular, it focuses on the evolution of English-only ideology and how it became hegemonic during the World War I era. This final section is largely based on Wiley (2000) as it looks in relation to language policies in the United States at the differential impact of language policies on various ethnolinguistic groups in the United States.   [More]  Descriptors: Monolingualism, Language Attitudes, Political Influences, Language Role

Feury, Russell F. (1969). A Survey of the Vocational Preparation and Race in Higher Education for the State of Michigan. Final Report. This survey of students enrolled in Michigan's colleges and universities in the fall of 1966 involved 6,928 Negroes, 1,049 Orientals, 250 American Indians, and 164,221 whites. The study revealed more Negro than white female enrollments, a Negro drop-out rate nearly double that of whites, and more Negroes than whites in graduate and graduate professional programs. A majority of both student groups were Michigan residents, and more whites than Negroes were engaged in full-time study. Two-thirds of the Orientals, and 65% of the American Indians were male. Most of the Orientals were foreign students, 29.5% of the American Indians were non-residents of Michigan, 25% of both groups studied on a part-time basis, and a high proportion of both groups pursued graduate studies. These and other findings have outlined the degree of minority group participation in higher education, a restricted program involvement of minority students enrolled in higher education institutions, their concentration in urban institutions, and their dependence on jobs or federal and local financial support. Recommendations, based on these areas of concern, propose steps that colleges and universities may take to increase the number of minority group students, and high school and college collaboration to identify, motivate, recruit, and help low-income minority students to further their education. Joint action by educational institutions and state agencies is also suggested for the development of a coordinated approach to equal educational opportunity problems in higher education.   [More]  Descriptors: Agency Cooperation, Career Choice, Comparative Analysis, Coordination

Ward, Martha, Comp.; Barlow, Sarah W., Comp. (1973). Your Right to Indian Welfare. A Handbook on the BIA General Assistance Program. The handbook helps American Indians and Alaskan Natives learn about their rights under the Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (GA) welfare program. This program is run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and is only for Alaskan Natives and Indians in 15 states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado (Southern Ute Reservation only), Idaho, Minnesota (Red Lake Reservation only), Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The handbook tells the reader where to look in the GA part of the BIA Manual, Section 3.1, to find the rights mentioned in the handbook. It also tells the number of the Bureau's rule on a subject for further reference. This handbook covers 5 main areas with subtopics: (1) welfare programs and definitions; (2) who can get GA and how to get it; (3) GA payments; (4) BIA decisions, records, and appeals; and (5) other programs, such as food programs and legal advice.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Civil Rights, Economically Disadvantaged

Crow, Eleanor G. (1969). A Time for Change and Challenge: Civil Rights in Colorado, 1966-1969. The minority groups of Colorado–past, present, and future–are investigated in detail in this report by the Civil Rights Commission of Colorado. The commission uses the 1967 U. S. Civil Rights Commission report and the Kerner Report to clarify the problems of minority groups and to establish a foundation for programs combating these problems. Minority groups are defined, and specific problems, complaints, and actions taken are examined. One appendix to the document probes the 1968-69 Ethnic Census of Colorado's Institutions of Higher Learning; tables indicate the total number of faculty and students (full- and part-time) involved in higher education and break down the results according to ethnic group representation (Negro, Hispano, Oriental, or American Indian). Other appendices are included.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Blacks, Civil Rights, Civil Rights Legislation

Goldberg, Carole E. (1975). Public Law 280: State Jurisdiction Over Reservation Indians. American Indian Treaties Publication. Series No. 1, 1975. Since Public Law 280 (1953) transferred civil and criminal jurisdiction of American Indians to five states and offered it to all other states while still maintaining the trust status of reservation lands, this paper asserts that PL 280 constitutes an "uneasy" Federal compromise between abandoning American Indians to the states and maintaining them as federally protected wards. Specifically, this paper addresses: objections to PL 280 and legislative solutions (controversy over Indian consent to the law; controversy over the financing of state jurisdiction; and lack of provision for retrocession or the option to return to Federal jurisdiction); and objections to PL 280 and jurisdicial resolutions (the mechanics of PL 280 transfers including optional and mandatory states; broad outlines of PL 280 jurisdiction–limitations and causes of action; local government jurisdiction; and exceptions re: hunting and fishing rights, regulation of land use, and taxing power; and new state jurisdiction acquired under PL 280). The paper's concluding remarks suggest the following: the trend away from judge-made rules and in favor of a preemption analysis based on PL 280 may reflect changes in Federal Indian policy in the direction of increased respect for tribal sovereignty, since the 1968 amendments required tribal consent and authorized partial jurisdiction and limited retrocession; since PL 280 is now the funnel through which all state jurisdiction over reservation Indians must flow, controversies over its mechanics and scope have taken on added significance. Descriptors: American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Criminal Law, Federal Government

Ramirez, Bruce A. (1985). Federal Public Policy and the Education of American Indian Exceptional Children and Youth: Current Status and Future Directions. Reviewing enrollment trends in federal, public, and tribally controlled schools, this report examines progress in the education of American Indian handicapped children since the passage in 1975 of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The first section provides numbers of Indian handicapped and gifted and talented children receiving specialized services as reported by federal agencies including the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, and the Head Start Bureau. Children served and categories of exceptionality are compared for 1977-78 amd 1983-84, and percentages of children served by the BIA are compared to figures for the country as a whole. The second section discusses the educational settings where handicapped students are served, again comparing BIA and national figures. Section 3 indicates how selected federal programs have contributed to educational opportunities for American Indians. Brief descriptions cover state grant programs, discretionary grant programs, the Head Start Act, the Indian Education Act, the Education Amendments of 1978, and the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. The concluding section focuses on educational needs including services for gifted and talented students and preschool handicapped students, improved vocational education, and more Indian professionals working in special education and related service fields. Descriptors: Access to Education, Alaska Natives, American Indian Education, American Indians

Sanderson, Priscilla Lansing; And Others (1996). Independent Living Outcomes for American Indians with Disabilities: A Needs Assessment of American Indians with Disabilities in Northwest New Mexico–Cibola and McKinley Counties. Interviews were conducted with 32 American Indians with disabilities in Cibola, McKinley, and San Juan counties, New Mexico. The study sought to identify the needs of northwest New Mexico American Indians with disabilities with regard to independently carrying out daily living activities. With an average age of 49, interviewees frequently reported blindness, hearing impairments, and hypertension as disabling conditions. The most numerous tribal affiliation was Navajo (75 percent), followed by Zuni and Laguna. Interviewees described their experiences with services needed and received in the past year. A lack of knowledge about services was one of the most common barriers to receiving services. Of 32 responses regarding personal assistance services, 23 interviewees indicated that someone, usually a family member, assisted them with daily activities. Interviewees' most important concerns were service providers' involvement of family members and extended family members in rehabilitation services, the need to feel safe in home and neighborhood, the desire for the Indian community to understand its disabled members' needs, and the need for information about legal rights and self-advocacy. Two community meetings were held to review preliminary findings. Community concerns included funding needs of community-based consumers and service providers, access to cultural activities, and lack of action by tribal leaders. Includes recommendations to state and tribal agencies and the interview instrument.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Disabilities, Human Services, Independent Living

Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, DC. (1980). American Indian Civil Rights Handbook. Clearinghouse Publication No. 35. Second Edition. The purpose of this handbook is to inform American Indians about their basic rights under Federal law both on and off reservations. There is a discussion of the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. The next section deals with equal treatment, unlawful arrest and detention, unlawful searches and seizures, and what to do when questioned or when rights have been violated. The section on fair treatment by the courts discusses the following: the right to counsel; arraignment, notice of charges, and bail; what happens before and during a trial; sentencing and appeal; and rights of children and teenagers. There are sections on Federal grand juries, the custody of children, civil and administrative due process, and the right to vote. The section on equal employment opportunities covers government and private employment, Title VI and other Federal laws, tribal agencies, private companies with Federal contracts, and Indian job preference. The section on educational opportunities describes the programs available for Indians. There are sections on Indian student rights and on rights to fair housing, equal credit, and use of public facilities and accommodations. The next section discusses the taking of private property by eminent domain. There are instructions on how and where to file complaints followed by a description of what constitutes discrimination. There is also a list (by states) of legal service programs and list of jurisdictions covered.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Education, American Indians, Civil Rights, Civil Rights Legislation

Wetschler, Ed (2011). After 50 Years, Ethnic Studies Still Controversial, District Administration. In the early 1900s, sociologist and civil-rights activist W.E.B. DuBois advocated the teaching of African-American studies in American schools. The goal was to teach a history and heritage that was being ignored, not just so blacks would better understand their own past, but so white society would be more respectful. But by 1968, when students demanding ethnic studies classes at San Francisco State University (SFSU) went on strike, essentially shutting down campus, the goals had shifted from DuBois' aim of engendering more respect from whites. As explained on the SFSU Africana Studies Department History Web page, the nonintegrationist Black Students Union, Third World Liberation Front, and their allies in the Black Panthers saw ethnic studies as part of a campaign for broad reform of the university, including open admissions for minority students and courses that would "serve as a counter to white value and white attitudinal courses." SFSU hurriedly set up a division of ethnic studies, offering black, Chicano, Asian and Native American studies. This article discusses how recent events in school districts and some states show how divisive this 1960s phenomenon may prove to be in the 21st century.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Studies, Black Studies, American Indians, Open Enrollment

Kraus, Rebecca S.; Chambers, David R. (2001). A Bridge to One America: The Civil Rights Performance of the Clinton Administration. This report assesses the civil rights record of Bill Clinton's presidential administration, examining progress made in federal civil rights law enforcement and policy development. Four sections include: (1) "Introduction: The Clinton Presidency in Perspective" (the civil rights landscape and continuing relevance of the fight for civil rights); (2) "Background: A Decade of Turmoil and Change" (key civil rights laws, judicial decisions, and agency enforcement in the 1990s; growing racial and ethnic tensions during Clinton's administration; socioeconomic disparities in the 1990s; and demographic change in the 1990s and beyond); (3) "An Evaluation of President Clinton's Civil Rights Record, 1993-2001" (significant civil rights issues of the Clinton administration, including diversity in the federal government, environmental justice, fair housing, equal educational opportunity, equal access to health care, the impact of welfare reform on women and minorities, and voting rights); and (4) "Lessons Learned." Overall, the Clinton administration transformed federal civil rights enforcement and policy efforts in many important ways but ultimately failed to develop or execute effective policies in several key areas relating to civil rights enforcement. Three appendixes present a civil rights timeline, 1990-00; executive orders relating to civil rights, 1994-00; and Clinton's recommendations for building one America.   [More]  Descriptors: Access to Health Care, Affirmative Action, American Indians, Bilingual Education