Stevenson, Allyson (2013). Vibrations across a Continent: The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act and the Politicization of First Nations Leaders in Saskatchewan, American Indian Quarterly. The 1983 Review of the Family Services Act (1973) and the Advisory Council meetings in Saskatchewan should be viewed against the backdrop of political changes taking place in North American society. Beginning with decolonization movements in both Canada and the United States, control over the provision of child and family services to indigenous children occupied a central position in discussions of self-determination. Control over child welfare provides a common language to what are essentially competing ideas of kinship and child rearing in indigenous and nonindigenous societies. To explore how activists framed aboriginal child welfare in the early part of the 1980s in Saskatchewan, the author will draw together four historically significant events that privileged certain explanations for aboriginal overrepresentation while silencing others. First, she addresses the 1978 passing of the US Indian Child Welfare Act, which gave tribal courts jurisdiction over the placement of children. Second, she examines the lobbying of the national and Saskatchewan Native women's movement, which sought an end to the gender discrimination in the Indian Act leading to the involuntary loss of Indian status and community membership. Third, there is the movement for self-government among indigenous peoples that resulted in the inclusion of protected rights in the repatriated Constitution of 1982, creating what one scholar has called an "uneasy and undefined relationship with the colonizing state." Finally, she discusses the influence of the local group named the Peyakowak Committee.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Child Welfare, Gender Discrimination, North Americans

Silvern, Steven E. (2008). Negotiating Ojibwe Treaty Rights: Toward a Critical Geopolitics of State-Tribal Relations, American Indian Culture and Research Journal. In this article the author provides a case study of how differing geographical imaginations are at the center of state-tribal relations in the United States. Specifically, he focuses on the political conflict between the state of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Ojibwe over the continuing existence and exercise of Ojibwe off-reservation hunting, fishing, and gathering treaty rights in northern Wisconsin. Beginning in 1974, the tribe and state fought a seventeen-year legal battle over the existence, definition, and exercise of off-reservation treaty rights. Extensive negotiation accompanied this litigation and led to the resolution of some contested issues outside the courtroom. Historians and legal scholars have devoted a great deal of attention to litigation, legal rhetoric, and judicial interpretation in treaty rights cases. In this article the author turns his attention to the negotiation table as a site where state-tribal geographies are constructed, debated, and contested. Settlement negotiations, also utilized in a number of Indian water-rights cases, provide a window through which to understand how political actors use the negotiating table to contest and achieve a desired geographical result. By focusing on these specific negotiations he hopes to shed light on how differing geographical imaginations structure the goals, strategies, and actions of specific state and tribal institutions and individuals. This article is organized into four parts. First, the author discusses the importance of geographical imaginations for the political identity of the state and Indian communities and for the construction of state-tribal relations. Second, he provides a historical-geographical interpretation of the Wisconsin Ojibwe treaty rights conflict. Third, he focuses on the role of geographical imaginations in attempts to reach a negotiated settlement of the conflict. He concludes with a discussion of theoretical issues raised by this article.   [More]  Descriptors: Treaties, American Indians, Conflict, Court Litigation

Trosper, Ronald L. (1995). Traditional American Indian Economic Policy, American Indian Culture and Research Journal. Examines aspects of American Indian world views and values relevant to economic development policy; specifically, sense of community, connectedness of everything, consideration of future generations, and humility toward nature. Discusses constraints on economic development arising from these values and the relevance of common property ownership (usufruct rights plus community control). Provides examples from the Menominee and Taos Pueblo. Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Conservation (Environment)

Abinanti, Abby (1973). American Indian Law Student Associations Education Project. The American Indian Law Student Association (AILSA) at the University of New Mexico Law School developed and secured approval for a Indian clinical law program. Funded by the Donner Foundation, AILSA aided in the development of a student bill of rights and responsibilities for Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools. The law program is discussed in 3 phases, and a budget is given. Also presented are 8 appendices–e.g., addresses of students in the special law scholarship program for American Indians, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Manual Guidelines for Admission. Descriptors: American Indians, Budgets, Civil Rights, Due Process

Nomura, Gail M. (1987). Within the Law: The Establishment of Filipino Leasing Rights on the Yakima Indian Reservation, Amerasia Journal. Analyzes how Filipinos, working under a stratified polyethnic system which treated Whites, Native American Indians, Japanese, and Filipinos differently, were able to establish a permanent agricultural community in the Yakima Valley before World War II. Descriptors: Agriculture, American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Filipino Americans

Reyhner, Jon (1989). Changes in American Indian Education: A Historical Retrospective for Educators in the United States. ERIC Digest. This brief retrospective outlines major points in the history of American Indian education and major issues in Indian curriculum and teacher training. From the arrival of Europeans until recent times, formal schooling for American Indians has been controlled by others–first missionaries, then the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). After World War II, American Indians began to actively promote self-determination and their own civil rights. Today all Indian schools are controlled by the local community or are operated by the BIA in conjunction with local Indian school boards. American Indian students' generally poor academic achievement has been attributed to sociocultural factors, such as differences between students' and teachers' languages, cultures, values, and learning styles.  School improvement efforts either are based on studies of urban or suburban schools serving the dominant culture or follow the "whole language approach," focusing on getting students to read more "real literature" and to write more. Integration of American Indian language and culture into the regular school curriculum is critical to improving student achievement. Teachers of Indian children need systematic training about sociocultural influences on learning and about tribal cultures. Some tribal councils have formulated educational policies that mandate school instruction in the tribal language and culture. This digest contains 10 references.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Education, American Indian History, American Indians, Curriculum Problems

Greer, Sandy (1995). Intellectual Property Rights: Where Do American Indians Draw the Line?, Winds of Change. At a panel discussion held at Imagining Indians Native American Film and Video Festival (Scottsdale, Arizona, June 1994), Americans Indians debated and expressed their concerns regarding intellectual property rights and the effects of commercialism on the integrity of Native American cultural beliefs and practices. Tribes must decide which aspects of their culture they will share. Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indians, Business, Cultural Awareness

National Council on Indian Opportunity, Washington, DC. (1970). [Recommendations of Working Committees to Urban Indian Conference]. The main body of the document contains recommendations presented by working committees of National Council on Indian Opportunity (NCIO) to the Urban Indian Conference held in December of 1970. Recommendations as outlined and discussed by various committees of NCIO are presented for the following areas: housing, education, alcoholism and drugs, economic development, contracts and proposals, Indian centers, employment, land, health, communication, political affairs of Indian interest, and treaty rights. The document concludes with a recommendation to the President of the United States that a President's Commission on the American Indian be established to examine the rights, privileges, and administrative policies regarding the American Indian.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Civil Rights, Committees, Conference Reports

Goodluck, Charlotte Tsoi; Eckstein, Florence (1978). American Indian Adoption Program: An Ethnic Approach to Child Welfare, White Cloud Journal. Sponsored by the Jewish Family and Children's Service of Phoenix, Arizona, the program places American Indian adoptees with their natural extended families or with families of the same tribe. Personal contacts, publicity, and national child welfare organizations help locate homes. Ensuring the child's tribal inheritance rights is yet to be accomplished.   [More]  Descriptors: Adoption, American Indians, Child Welfare, Foster Homes

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. (1983). Fiscal Year 1984 Budget. Hearings before the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-Eighth Congress, First Session on the Fiscal Year 1984 Budget (February 23, 24, and 25, 1983). The Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs met in Washington, D.C. on February 23-25, 1983, to discuss the implications of the proposed budget for the 1984 fiscal year. Testimony by representatives of government agencies and American Indian tribes and organizations focused on five main topics: closure of the Intermountain (Utah) and Mount Edgecumbe (Alaska) Indian Schools; transfer of the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); termination of some educational assistance provided under the Indian Education Act; provision of housing, water, and sewer facilities on American Indian reservations; and provision of health care to American Indians. Government witnesses included representatives of the BIA, ANA, Office of Indian Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Indian Health Service, and Department of Education. Outside witnesses included representatives from the INMED Program, National Indian Health Board, American Indian Health Care Association, United Tribal Educational Technical Center, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Native American Rights Fund, Intermountain Inter-Tribal School Board, National American Indian Housing Council, National Tribal Chairmen's Association, National Congress of American Indians, three reservations, and eight tribes.   [More]  Descriptors: Allied Health Occupations Education, American Indian Education, American Indian Reservations, American Indians

O'Brien, Frank Waabu (2002). Spirits & Family Relations. This paper offers translations for about 300 names for spirits, relations, and kinships taken from the extinct American Indian languages of southeastern New England, Narragansett and Massachusett. Each section contains tables of three columns. On the left is the term being defined, as defined in the middle column, with useful comments on the right side. "Reconstructed" refers to a guess as to a word's meaning. The abbreviation "Narr." refers to the Narragansett language as recorded by Roger Williams (1643). The citation "Mayhew" refers to his unique letter of 1722, probably the only written description of the language given by a fluent speaker. The infinity symbol is used to refer to the sound "oo.""Native Spelling" means that old, original writings of a native speaker are quoted. The words in these languages for relations and relationships are very complex, not well-documented, and not well-understood. For example, the word "sister" may refer to many relations (a blood relation, a half-sister, a step-sister, or a foster sister). Pronunciation of the words is not attempted because of the scanty knowledge of this language. (Contains 16 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Languages, Kinship Terminology, Translation, Uncommonly Taught Languages

Dumanoski, Diane (1975). Battling to Regain a Lost Past. Marthas Vineyard Indians Want Their Land Back, Civil Rights Digest. Notes that the American Indians actually have a chance of recovering their land from the present owner, for in addition to a moral claim it might have a solid legal claim to title as well.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Culture, Court Litigation, Cultural Context, Ethnic Groups

Newman, Erica (2013). History of Transracial Adoption: A New Zealand Perspective, American Indian Quarterly. This article explores the New Zealand legal history of adoption and the effect it has had on Maori. The status of children within Maori and European societies before and during the early contact periods differed, and it is from here that the author begins this article. These two societies had their own terms in relation to the care of children by those who were not the biological parents. Europeans use the term "adopt," while Maori use the term "whangai." Although these terms relate to the care of children by those who are not the biological parents, they possess different ideals. Due to these differences, European society was faced with challenges when informally adopting a child. These challenges led to the establishment of the 1881 Adoption of Children Act. While this act initially had no effect on the practice of "whangai," by 1901 the Native Land Act required "whangai" to be registered and then recorded in the "New Zealand Gazette." Over time a number of changes made to adoption laws that affected Maori were based on the issue of who had rights to land succession.   [More]  Descriptors: Adoption, Parents, Foreign Countries, Racial Differences

Mercado, Edward (1970). What Price Ingles, Civil Rights Dig. Discusses the problems of educators who do not face or accept situations which occur when English is an individual's (with particular reference to American Indians and the Spanish-Speaking) second language. A model for bilingual innovation is included. Descriptors: American Indians, Bilingual Education, Cultural Awareness, English (Second Language)

McDonald, Dennis; And Others (1989). Stuck in the Horizon: A Special Report on the Education of Native Americans, Education Week. This special newspaper edition is a collection of articles based on a journalist's interviews with American Indian educators in urban public schools, Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, and tribally controlled school districts. The introduction, entitled "The High Cost of Endurance" outlines the high risk status of Native American children, discusses the diversity of American Indian tribes and American Indian education, and suggests that American Indian education must focus on survival. "Education: The First Condition" reviews the history of American Indian education since the white man's arrival and describes current trends and issues in the Federal Government-Indian relationship. "From 'No Power' to Local Power?" discusses the issue of Indian control over Indian children's public school education; cites recent court cases involving discriminatory hiring of teachers, unfair treatment of Indian students, and violations of voting rights in school board elections; describes the success story of the tribally controlled Zuni Public Schools; and examines the problems of inexperienced tribal governments, low priority of Indian programs at the state level, and dwindling federal funding. "Indian People Just Want To Be Themselves" outlines Indian educators' struggle to devise an instructional model that meets both the academic and cultural needs of Indian students; describes opposition to bicultural education in some Indian communities; and discusses bilingual education, American Indian learning styles, and traditional teaching methods. Descriptors: Acculturation, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, Biculturalism

Stryker, Don; Bergerson, Amy Aldous (2012). Racism, Union Busting, or Just Plain Cultural Conflict?, Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership. This case describes the struggle of a small school employee association located in a right-to-work state as it attempts to continue exercising influence after a political turmoil caused the composition of the school board to change. This case presents many elements that foster discussion of basic employee rights such as freedom of association, free speech, and due process. As such, this case is designed for usage in educational leadership programs and is particularly pertinent to provoke discussions regarding school politics, employee association authority, preferences in hiring practices, and employee dismissal procedures. Students of educational leadership enrolled in school law, human resources, and/or multicultural education courses can engage in discussion of multiple aspects of course content.   [More]  Descriptors: Civil Rights, Conflict, Course Content, Boards of Education

Common, Ron (1991). A Search for Equity: A Policy Analysis of First Nations Representation on Provincial School Boards, Education Canada. Claims that American Indians are being discriminated against by such unfair provincial statutes as the Education Acts and Municipal Election Acts. Advocates equal representation of American Indians on school boards in Canada and policy reforms to allow school board voter eligibility for members of a First Nation that buys services through a tuition agreement. Descriptors: American Indians, Boards of Education, Canada Natives, Educational Legislation

Martin, Jennifer L.; Sharp-Grier, Martina; Smith, Julia B. (2016). Alternate Realities: Racially Disparate Discipline in Classrooms and Schools and Its Effects on Black and Brown Students, Leadership and Research in Education. This study examines the Civil Rights Data Collection of 2014, consisting of 49,605,534 students from 95,635 public schools covering grades from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The primary focus of this study was to examine the relative distribution of different types of discipline between ethnic groups and genders. In every category, the levels reported for either African-American or Native American students were much higher than any other group. Native American levels were highest for referral to law enforcement and for expulsion with or without school services. For almost every gender comparison within each ethnic group, male students were more likely to receive punishment than female students. For Native American students, girls were more likely than boys to receive in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, expulsion either with or without educational services, and to be referred to law enforcement or experience school-related arrest.   [More]  Descriptors: Public Schools, Kindergarten, Elementary Secondary Education, Ethnic Groups

Powell, John H., Jr.; And Others (1973). The Southwest Indian Report. A Report of the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, May 1973. The investigation of civil rights violations for American Indians in Arizona and New Mexico covers Federal, state, and local employment; elementary, secondary, and higher education; and health needs, especially the Indian Health Service. It also discusses urban and reservation administration of justice and water rights. Conclusions and recommendations to improve Indian life end the report.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Civil Rights, Courts

Kidwell, Clara Sue (1999). The Vanishing Indian Reappears in the College Curriculum. The first Native American studies programs, created in the rising political consciousness of the late 1960s and early 1970s, arose from a rejection of traditional curricula and challenged stereotypes of Indians and their history. During the 1980s, Native studies programs became vehicles to recruit and retain American Indian students, reflecting concerns over minority attrition rates and affirmative action. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the increasingly multicultural makeup of American society and the emerging global economy focused attention on multiculturalism and cultural diversity in college curricula. One of the most notable trends in Native American studies has been the emergence of tribal colleges fostered by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. These colleges offer courses that play an important role in preserving tribal cultural identity. From political confrontation to affirmative action to multiculturalism, the presence of American Indians as both subjects of scholarship and scholars in their own right has created a new field of study that incorporates ideas such as tribal sovereignty, the relationship of cultural identity to land, the importance of culture in understanding the effects of first contacts between Europeans and Native Americans, the significance of Native languages as cognitive structures, and treaties and treaty rights. Several disciplines are involved, primarily anthropology, history, literary criticism, and legal studies. Native American studies has thus promoted a model of truly interdisciplinary learning.  Contains endnotes and a bibliography.   [More]  Descriptors: Activism, American Indian History, American Indian Languages, American Indian Literature

Shoemaker, Adam (2011). Is There a Crisis in International Learning? The "Three Freedoms" Paradox, Cambridge Journal of Education. This paper explores creative responses to global educational, financial and ethical crises. The focus is the potential intersection between academic, Internet and media freedoms. At base, it asks whether there are rights (of definition, use and control) associated with each of these. For instance, is unfettered access to the Internet a human right or is it analogous to a public utility? Does it matter to the polity if media freedoms are filtered and curtailed? And is academic freedom influenced, concerned or affected by either (or both) of the above? In an environment in which formerly ranked certainties no longer hold sway, new forms of international learning and global university behaviours are essential. I argue that exploring and defining an ethical curriculum is where the process begins; invoking it in terms of international research is where it travels; and changing the world inside and outside the campus is the ultimate destination.   [More]  Descriptors: Academic Freedom, Internet, Civil Rights, Freedom of Speech

Johnson, Troy R. (1996). Roots of Contemporary Native American Activism. Commentary, American Indian Culture and Research Journal. Traces the foundations and development of Native American activism, 1950s-90s. Discusses relocation of reservation American Indians to urban areas in the 1950s without promised aid or vocational training, changing aspirations of Indian veterans and college students, lessons of the civil rights movement, occupations of Alcatraz Island and Wounded Knee, and efforts to enforce treaty rights and tribal sovereignty. Descriptors: Activism, American Indian History, Civil Disobedience, Civil Rights

Witt, Shirley Hill (1980). Pressure Points in Growing Up Indian, Perspectives: The Civil Rights Quarterly. Describes the cultural contradictions between traditional American Indian child-rearing practices and "mainstream" Anglo expectations. Discusses the psychological consequences of growing up with such culture conflict, and condemns educational and social policies which ignore the American Indians' traditions and exacerbate their alienation. Descriptors: Adopted Children, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, American Indians

Giago, Tim; Illoway, Sharon (1982). Dying Too Young, Perspectives: The Civil Rights Quarterly. Examines poor health conditions and health problems of American Indians. Stresses that health programs for American Indians have been underfunded from the start, and that the diminishing commitment of the American government to such programs threatens to worsen an already low Indian health index. Descriptors: American Indians, Disease Incidence, Federal Aid, Federal Indian Relationship

Blank, Ruth (1981). What Shall Our Children Read? A Selected Bibliography of American Indian Literature for Young People. The 178 titles in the annotated bibliography represent a variety of American Indian and Alaska Native topics and literature from 1953 to 1980 (primarily the 1970's). Serving as a guide for teachers and Native American parents, the bibliography alphabetically lists published material non-stereotypic of American Indians and suitable for teaching progressive reading skills. An asterisk identifies books written by American Indians. Each annotation includes the book's reading level. Examples of the contents include: myths and legends ("White Shell Horse,""Stories of Our Ancestors: A Collection of Northern Ute Indian Tales,""Spider in the Sky"); historical accounts ("Indian Annie: Kiowa Captive,""Let Me Be a Free Man"); culture and lifestyle ("The Hunters,""American Indian Utensils,""Indians of the Woodland: Before and After the Pilgrims"); prose and poetry ("The Way: An Anthology of American Indian Literature,""Ascending Red Cedar Moon,""Longhouse Winter"); biographies ("Chief Sarah: Sarah Winnemucca's Fight for Indian Rights,""Famous Indians,""Joseph, Chief of the Nez Perce"); and references ("American Indian Habitats: How to Make Dwellings and Shelters with Natural Materials,""The World of the American Indian,""Sports and Games the Indians Gave Us,""American Indian Clothes and How to Make Them"). Three periodicals developed especially for use by children and teachers in the classroom are also listed. Descriptors: Alaska Natives, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, American Indian Literature

Head-Dylla, Candace; Faircloth, Susan (2014). A Feather in Her Cap, Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership. In this case, the authors explore the tensions that emerge when students exert their right to visibly demonstrate their cultural values and beliefs at school or school-sponsored activities and events. This case was designed for educational leadership courses dealing with diversity, pluralism, multiculturalism, and democratic values. Students should be encouraged to discuss pluralism and democratic education juxtaposed with multiculturalism. They should consider ways in which the principal and teachers in this case either missed or tried to use opportunities to engage students in transformative, cross-cultural pedagogies that could prove to be socially reconstructive.   [More]  Descriptors: Student Rights, Cultural Activities, Multicultural Education, Cultural Awareness

Warner, Linda Sue (1999). Education and the Law: Implications for American Indian/Alaska Native Students. This chapter provides an overview of federal education case law and legislation. Currently, there is no Supreme Court education case law applicable specifically to American Indian students. Following brief descriptions of categories of jurisdiction and the structure of the federal court system, the overview summarizes Supreme Court case law applicable to all students and examines potential implications for American Indian students, where applicable. Case law in education falls into the following general areas: (1) discipline (corporal punishment, due process); (2) curriculum (protection of freedom of religion, English-as-a-second-language instruction for limited-English speaking students); (3) student and teacher right of free speech; (4) tort law (responsibility and negligence in education, "in loco parentis" issues, extent of school liability); (5) equity (educational discrimination, integrated facilities, equal educational opportunity); (6) special education (rights of disabled children); (7) finance (equality in school funding); and (8) compulsory attendance. Nineteen federal legislative acts are summarized that provide the legislative foundation of American Indian education. Contains references in endnotes.   [More]  Descriptors: Alaska Natives, American Indian Education, American Indians, Court Litigation

Gover, Kevin (1977). Oklahoma Tribes: A History, American Indian Journal. Oklahoma is a microcosm of American Indian country. Water rights, tribal government impotence, jurisdiction, tribal membership, treaty rights, taxation, sovereignty, racism, and poor housing, education, and health are all vital issues facing the Indian tribes of Oklahoma. In order to understand the complexity of these issues, a review of the history of the Oklahoma tribes is presented.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indian Reservations, American Indians, Culture Conflict, Government Role

Bureau of Indian Affairs (Dept. of Interior), Washington, DC. Office of Indian Education Programs. (1998). American Indian Supplement to the National Standards for Civics and Government. This American Indian supplement to the 1994 National Civics and Government Standards aims to provide classroom teachers with useful ideas for instructional content focused on American Indian-related civics and government issues. Like the national standards, this document is divided into the grade level groupings of K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. The supplement should be used in conjunction with the national standards document itself and therefore follows the same format, organization, and language. Only certain sections of the national standards were adapted to include Indian-specific content. The supplement refers to specific national content standards by number; comments on or interprets them in relation to American Indian students and issues; and, where appropriate, adds additional standards and performance indicators for Indian students. Most interpretations and additions involve issues related to tribal government and its powers; tribal sovereignty; the relationships among federal, state, and tribal governments; the nature of civic life in American Indian communities; the rights and responsibilities of American Indians as citizens of the United States and their tribes; and the history of the federal-Indian relationship. This supplement may also be used as a guideline for developing more tribally specific local standards.   [More]  Descriptors: Academic Standards, American Indian Education, American Indian History, American Indians

American Indian Journal of the Institute for the Development of Indian Law (1976). AIPRC Jurisdiction Task Force Holds Hearings. The Jurisdiction Task Force of the American Indian Policy Review Commission (AIPRC) held a series of hearings on jurisdictional issues/problems confronting Native American governments today, and the following four topics emerged as primary areas of concern: Child Placement; Public Law 280; Water Rights; and Hunting/Fishing Rights.   [More]  Descriptors: American Indians, Child Welfare, Civil Rights, Federal Legislation