Discusses the history of Cherokee stickball, a ball game dating back at least to the 1500s that was once used (as an alternative to war) for resolving grievances between tribes and townships. Describes traditional aspects of Cherokee stickball and notes the steady decline of the game and its traditional rules and ceremonies. (LP)

The Menominee Gaming and Hospitality Institute (College of the Menominee Nation, WI) assists Indian people in mastering skills needed to operate their own gaming enterprises and to manage hotels or resorts. In addition to certificate and degree coursework, the institute is developing a computerized industry database and a product development…

Describes a study examining the political and administrative maturity of two American Indian tribes, one in a high state of development and one in a low state of development. Indicates that there was stability, separation of powers, and minimal conflict in the high development tribe, as well as more independence from federal authority. (MAB)

Examines seven Hopi narratives that focus on the first death that occurred after the Hopis' emergence into this world. Provides questions to use in teaching this myth and other cultural texts, including questions concerned with use of sacred texts, parallels with Anglo stories, translation issues, audience, storytellers, quality, art of the…

Report on Philippine tribal people's struggle to protect their homelands against loggers, miners, and the global industrial economy. Links the issues surrounding tribal homelands and environmental degradation to world trade, foreign debt, and expansion of the industrial economy. (MCO)

In most cases, Canadian reservation schools that are termed "band controlled" schools are actually controlled by the federal government, because of fiscal policy constraints. A first step toward true band control would be the articulation of formal educational policies by the band. Contains 25 references. (Author/SV)

Describes an adventure program operated on the Qualla Boundary Cherokee reservation that serves Cherokee youth and outside groups interested in Cherokee culture. Aspects of Cherokee culture, such as talking circles and storytelling, are incorporated into the program. A sidebar recounts the story of a bear encounter that is used to begin many…

Describes a fourth-grade program that uses the media of art and literature to understand a different culture, to develop an appreciation for the art of that culture, and to refine students' ability to read and write. Explains how the thematic unit on the Sioux was developed. Notes that the instructional sequence incorporated visuals, explanation,…

Examines "bimaadiziwin"--the moral structure of traditional Anishinaabe (Chippewa) religion, which is providing past-present continuity in Anishinaabe worldview. Discusses the teachings of bimaadiziwin ("good life") as governing human relations with nature and social relations, storytelling as a medium for moral teachings, an…

The National Executive Education Program for Native American Leadership and the Center for American Indian Economic Development developed a method to help tribes create a long-term strategic community-development plan. Based on integrated analysis of six community subsystems, the method includes extensive interviews, secondary research, a workshop…

Language is easiest to learn before age 5. The Cherokee Nation supported production of a toy that teaches young children basic Cherokee words. When figures that come with the toy are placed into it, a computer chip activates a voice speaking the name of the figure in Cherokee. Learning takes place on visual, auditory, and tactile levels. (TD)

Many in Indian country have expressed that the trauma from the boarding school experience continues to terrorize the hearts of American Indians. Although much has been written about this history that looms so large in the North American indigenous experience, it remains an obscure topic in mainstream America. Dr. Eulynda J. Toledo, a member of the…

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…

Iraqi refugees are coming to the United States after years of war and internal conflict, and they bring with them an ancient history. This booklet gives an overview of the land, the people, and the history of Iraq, with a description of the circumstances that compel these refugees to leave their native land. The people who live in Iraq represent a…