One aspect of building Native nations entails motivating American Indian/Alaska Native youth to become committed to their communities so as to sustain and move forward with the goals of American Indian/Alaska Native nations. This study determined the impact of one Native American Studies department on its Native students' life goals. Through its…

American Indian Studies programs at over 100 institutions perform the traditional teaching, research, and service functions expected of all departments but also assume atypical roles, such as multicultural education for the whole institution, recruitment and retention of Indian students, linking academic and Indian communities, and advancement of…

Compares Minnesota elementary school teachers' attitudes toward teaching about Native Americans in 1977 and 1981. Finds classroom materials better in 1981, but a majority of teachers still feel inadequately prepared to teach about native peoples. Makes recommendations for teacher training institutions, in-service programs, interaction between…

An Anglo faculty member remembers the early years of Navajo Community College, now Dine College, on the Navajo Reservation. Student-led inquiry circles differentiated the curriculum from those of other colleges and explored areas that the faculty, especially Anglo teachers, would not have. The board of regents was more involved than is customary,…

Traces the development of the South Dakota State Board of Education requirement that all new teachers must have three semester hours of American Indian studies. Includes an overview of the course guidelines covering American Indian history and culture (especially Sioux), materials evaluation, professional concerns, and most importantly, bicultural…

Describes a holistic Native Studies curriculum for ethnically mixed classes, based on a project to eliminate Native substance abuse through traditional Native values. Discusses teaching strategies using Native and non-Native learning styles, teacher as role model, and use of appropriate cultural-symbol graphics to transmit ideas. Contains 24…

Arizona State University's Center for Indian Education has pursued its goals of research, teacher training, community outreach, policy advisement, leadership development, and student recruitment through such efforts as founding the Journal of American Indian Education, tribally controlled schools, and community-focused college programs;…