Billy Day, a Tunica/Biloxi, recently described the significance of the sun for Caddoan people. Day quoted an "old Caddo relative" of his who said: "I used to go outside and hold my hands up and bless myself with the sun--'a'hat.' Well, I can't do that anymore because they say we are sun worshipers. We didn't worship the sun. We worshiped what was…

The education of girls living in Maasailand in Kenya's arid and semi-arid regions presents many challenges. This policy brief explores how deep-seated perceptions embedded in Maasai culture hold girls' back. This research looks in depth at Kajiado and Narok counties, both predominantly Maasai areas that have some of the lowest school enrollment…

This article outlines a framework the authors have used to infuse sustainability study into humanities teaching at the middle school level. Native American tribal elders can act as co-teachers in such classrooms, and the place-based stories that shaped their views of the environment can serve as important classroom texts to investigate sustainable…

On May 2, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and the West Comprehensive Center (WCC) at WestEd facilitated a half-day pre-conference for tribal leaders and educators participating in the 2016 Southwest Pathways Conference (which was held May 2-4). The gathering raised awareness about critical education, health, and well-being issues…

To date, the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) has been a major source of descriptive information on Head Start and preschool children ages 3 to 5 years old who attend the program. There are 12 regions for federal management of Head Start. FACES gathers data on Head Start programs, staff, children, and families from Regions I…

Rural communities traditionally enjoy an intimate relationship between stakeholders and the local school system. While preliminary research exists to suggest rural school turnaround might be more likely to occur when a strong communal connection exists (Mette, 2014), little is known about rural school turnaround efforts serving predominantly…

The purpose of my study was to examine how a site reform leader implements the "Native Star" questionnaire at a school for American Indian students and how he describes and experiences school reform efforts at a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school in New Mexico. This was accomplished through a qualitative review of how the site…

Establishing and maintaining sustainable levels of success within any school setting commences with a culture of connectedness between teachers, students and parents. This is an expression of their alignment and commitment to a shared set of core educational and community values. My research explored these relationships from the perspective of…

There remains limited research on the gap between the participation and persistence to graduation rates for American Indian students in higher education. It is pertinent to explore the experiences of these students who did not persist to graduation to be able to gain a better understanding of the factors involved in this gap. The primary purpose…

In India, Tribal constitute 8.61% of the total population numbering 104.28 million (2011 Census) and cover about 15% of the country's area. Nilgiri district had the highest percentage of (3.16%) scheduled tribe population in Tamil Nadu. About 50% of the tribal population is concentrated in Gudalur taluk, the remaining 50% of the tribal population…

The worldview within indigenous people's traditional knowledge and western science can be a world of difference. In order to help indigenous students cross the gap and develop a sense of cultural identification. Taking Bunun, one of the Taiwanese indigenous tribes, as our subject, this study aims to develop a teaching module through Bunun's Millet…

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa are investing in education and future generations with a new tribal college campus. The new Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) campus in northern Minnesota will greatly improve not only the college's physical appearance, but will also elevate the community's sense of pride and self-esteem. The impact of the new campus…

The Internet as a networked system has been rendered more complex than ever before as human endpoints are grafted into the system via increasingly pervasive and personalized networked devices. According to the United Nations, the Internet is a transnational enabler of a number of human rights, and as such, access to the Internet has been…

In this article, the author discusses the history and practice of "star quilt" making. The star quilt has become synonymous with the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and several bands of Lakota and Dakota. Receiving a quilt is considered a great honor and often takes place at powwows, funerals, memorials, and even…

This chapter discusses the similarities and differences between native research methods and western social science research as it impacts American Indians in the academy. The chapter reflects on the requirements needed by young practitioners and their responsibilities to their tribal communities to produce research that is both informative and…