Two Policy Approaches to Native Education: Can Reform Be Legislated?.
The evolution of Canadian federal policy for Native elementary and secondary education has followed a pattern remarkably similar to that in the United States. A significant difference in the provision of educational services to indigenous peoples is, however, that whereas the United States has historically attempted to regulate and reform Native education through federal legislation, Canada has generally eschewed such a proactive strategy in favour of what Hall (1992) refers to as the “No Policy-Policy.” In this article I examine the evolution of Native education policy in both countries to determine which approach has brought Native people closer to their desired goal of having control over their children’s education. La politique federale canadienne d’enseignement primaire et secondaire destinee aux autochtones suit une evolution semblable a celle des Etats-Unis. ll existe toutefois une difference significative dans la prestation des services educatifs aux peuples autochtones: les Etats-Unis ont toujours tente de reglementer et de reformer l’education des autoch- tones par le biais de lois federales tandis que le Canada evite, en regle generale, ce genre de strategie proactive et prefere ce que Hall (1992) designe comme une “politique de non-politique.” Dans cet article, l’auteur analyse l’evolution, dans les deux pays, de la politique en matiere d’enseignement aux autochtones afin de determiner quelle approche permet aux peuples autochtones de se rapprocher de leur objectif, qui est de controler l’education de leurs enfants.
Getting Them Through the College Pipeline: Critical Elements of Instruction Influencing School Success Among Native Canadian High School Students
As a consequence of the Civil Rights Movement and related social movements, the past 30 years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in higher education enrollments among ethnic minority groups, women, and low-income students, as well as increases in the financial aid available to these groups. However, certain ethnic minority populations, such as Native American and Native Canadian students, still experience difficulty in the transition from the K-12 school system to higher education, despite policies enacted to increase access. The research literature cites the disjuncture between the home cultures of these students and the environments of the school as a major cause of the failure of Native students to make the transition from the K-12 school system to higher education institutions. These findings have prompted calls for the integration of Native cultural knowledge and perspectives into the school curriculum. This Canadian study examined the outcomes of consistently integrating Native perspectives into the high school social studies curriculum throughout the 2003–2004 academic year. The teachers integrated Native cultural learning objectives, resources, and instructional methods. Critical elements of the integration processes that appeared to increase academic achievement, class attendance, and participation among Native students1 are discussed. Teachers can draw on these elements to implement effective teaching strategies for the preparation of Native students along the college pipeline.
The Impact of the American Indian Movement on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Les consequences de l'American Indian Movement (AMI) et de l'occupation de Wounded Knee sur la vie politique et ceremonielle de la reserve Oglala de Pine Ridge (Etats-Unis).