Why are some tribal organizations more effective than others? Does political capital--connections, influence and power--enable or constrain the ability of a tribal organization to work successfully within its Native community? This paper explores these questions within the context of American Indian higher education by using political capital…

Croatans did not take their community's identity for granted, nor did they blend in with one or another dominant ethnic identity. They continually reinforced their distinctiveness as a community by employing strategies as diverse as maintaining long-distance kin ties and accommodating racial segregation.

The results of a structured interview with members of a southeastern American Indian tribe on attitudes about disabilities and experiences with people with disabilities are reported. For nearly a century and a half, members of this tribe lived an isolated existence, resulting in the development of a rare recessive genetic disorder,…

The tribal reactions to and struggle over the issues of Indian-white conflict, factionalism, and liquidation of tribal assets are discussed. The termination efforts of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s provide a crucible through which the Salish and Kootenai realized that only with a strong, determined, and unified tribe led by capable officials,…

In Osage writer Carter Revard's short story, "Report to the Nation: Claiming Europe," the narrator claims much of England, France, Spain, Italy, and Greece for the Osage Nation. After asserting his claim, the narrator questions whether or not the French actually understood that their country therefore belonged to the Osage Nation. When…

The diversity of customs and habitats under which the aboriginal peoples of North America lived in the past--and in which they live today--is one of the many possible topics for consideration in the social studies classroom. Along with an examination of the tribes, social studies educators can teach about the experiences of the explorers and the…

Tribal leaders in Cherokee established the payment program known as the "per capita". All enrolled members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee--adults and children alike--receive yearly sums. Upon graduation, students from the tribal-run school system are eligible to receive lump-sum payments, with the amount $36,967.78 per person. The money comes…

For American Indian scholars, securing a job in higher education can sometimes be as simple as checking a box. Most of the country's colleges and universities do not require proof of tribal enrollment from faculty or staff who identify themselves as American Indians. Students looking to receive financial aid, however, must submit proof that they…

"School-based management" (SBM) rose to become a prominent trend in educational reform in Western countries during the last few decades of the 20th century and has likewise been introduced into a number of Asian and African nations. A key component of SBM is the increase of internal accountability within the school with the aim of…

In this article, the author describes some of the teaching methods she uses to teach how different American Indian groups lived in different regions of the North American continent. Her lessons include a number of projects: (1) Practicing symbolic writing; (2) Creating a personal timeline; (3) Studying winter counts and creating a personalized…

Using data gleaned from catalogs and bulletins for a sample of 28 tribal, 33 historically black, and 30 "mainstream" colleges, the author analyzes the number of courses that focus explicitly and exclusively on African American or American Indian cultural perspectives--"ethnocentric" content--in 1992 and 2002. Negative binomial regression analyses…

This book defines a variety of terms from Native American history and represents a compendium of vocabulary, people, places, and events. The alphabetized, illustrated text includes names for Indian objects such as pirogues, prayer sticks, kayaks, dumas, and medicine bundles; methods of doing things, such as stone boiling, diapering babies, healing…

This directory lists contact information for the 49 American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Service projects. These projects are funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education. The goal of these projects is to provide vocational rehabilitation services…

This book, recommended for children from preschool through age 8, presents various facts about American Indians and American Indian culture and history. Using the alphabet, the book provides information on the Apache people of the southwestern United States; the Luiseno of southern California; the Modoc of northern California; the Navajo nation,…

The relative positive and negative aspects of internal vs external social control of alcohol consumption among North American Indians are discussed. (JC)