Suggests a curriculum for rural and small-town schools that combines bilingual education in local languages (indigenous, heritage, or immigrant languages) with global, multicultural education. Discusses benefits to students and community, and ways that the model overcomes typical rural constraints of inflexible school organization; administrative…

Advocates teaching history through children's fictional and nonfictional literature in elementary social studies. Offers seven criteria for selecting books for elementary history units. Provides activities for teaching about American Indians, communities, and U.S. history based on award-winning children's books. (CH)

Draws on experiences of American Indian women relocated to Los Angeles during the 1950s-60s to take part in Bureau of Indian Affairs job training and placement programs. These women faced the double burden of racial discrimination and white sex-role expectations, but adjusted to life in Los Angeles with the support of Indian community…

A white male professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks taught an experimental section of a composition course with a reading list composed almost entirely of American Indian and Alaska Native authors. Vocal controversies about the readings were attributed to fundamentalist views, lack of experience in reading literature, sensitivity about…

Interviews with 536 families (White, Hispanic, and American Indian) of infants and toddlers with developmental problems indicated parental needs for more and better information and indicated the importance of medical doctors as a source of information, individualizing information for different ethnic groups, and identifying unique strategies to…

Surveyed 49 state supervisors and 36 Native American supervisors of child welfare programs in Arizona. Found that, although both groups reported similar levels of supervisory professionalization and job satisfaction, they differed in their ethnicity, their supervisory tasks, and their training needs. Tribal supervisors reported having more…

A national survey of 84 American Indian undergraduate and graduate social work students revealed three factors contributing to low retention rates: difficulties in acculturation; problems associated with being a nontraditional student; and absence of faculty support. Suggestions for improving retention include establishing support groups,…

Data from the U.S. Department of Education demonstrate that segregation of American Indians in institutions of higher education is greater in states where there are American Indian tribal colleges. Many such institutions are poorly funded two-year colleges. To improve education for American Indians, these colleges need more support. (SLD)

Discusses the collaborative efforts of the Hawaiian Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) and the Navajo Rough Rock Community School in Arizona to develop educational practices and strategies that would help minority-language children succeed in school. Examines the modification of KEEP strategies for use with Navajo children. (16 references)…

Maintains that the American West has fascinated artists for the last 150 years. Presents four lesson plans based on paintings from the Phoenix (Arizona) Art Museum. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and four full-page color prints of the paintings. (CFR)

Describes a framework for social studies curriculum in Navajo schools that fosters critical citizenship through student research into the physical, historical, economic, political, and cultural dimensions of community life. Aims to promote social studies that reflect the human environment in which Navajo students live and also arm students with…

Maintains that storytelling is an ancient instructional method that can be used effectively by contemporary art educators. Presents a narrative by a six-year-old Navajo girl that describes a typical school day. Includes suggestions for using the story to teach about cultural differences and cultural change. (CFR)

Staff at the Leslie M. Frost Natural Resources Center (Ontario, Canada) have attempted to clarify their role in promoting understanding of Native peoples by participating in training programs about traditional and modern conservation practices, assembling a list of Native people who are willing to participate in training programs, planning a…

Provides an annotated bibliography of materials that can be used to teach children about the Columbian quincentennial. Lists books, filmstrips, films, and videocassettes about the explorer and his impact on the Americas and world history. (SG)

Effective school principles can help provide successful programs for American Indians. Principles include a clear school mission, assessment of comprehensive needs and monitoring of student progress, appropriate curriculum and instruction, opportunity to learn, time spent on task, high expectations, safe and supportive school environment, good…