Volume 16 Number 1
October 1976

John W. Tippeconnic III

Recently, the Office of Education indicated 334,495 Indian students were enrolled in public schools (see Reference 1). The Bureau of Indian Affairs reported 47,561 students, with an additional 10,558 attending contract and mission schools (see Reference 2). Thus, a total of 392,614 Indian students were in school. This number will certainly increase for the 1976-77 academic year.

This means that a large number of teachers have Indian students in their classrooms. Teacher training programs have been criticized for the lack of attention given to the needs of Indian students.

The Kennedy (see Reference 3) and Havighurst (see Reference 4) reports document the need for teachers of Indian children. The need for Indian teachers of Indian children is even more acute. The Commission on Civil Rights reported that a major factor in the current crisis in Indian education is the lack of Indian teachers and the general poor quality of teachers of Indian children (see Reference 5). A specific tribal need is expressed by the Navajo: "Of the 2,800 teachers in Navajo schools, about 188 are Navajos. Of the 200 administrators, less than 10 are Navajo" (see Reference 6).

In addition to the need for teachers, it is recognized and recommended that teacher training programs emphasize the linguistic, cultural, and social needs of the student. The development of a learning environment where there is respect for differences among cultures and peoples is emphasized (see References 7 and 9).

The Center for Indian Education at Arizona State University recognizes the needs and recommendations mentioned above. Organized in 1959, the Center continues to provide an educational program based on the following goals and objectives:

The general goals of the Center for Indian Education are: (1) The preparation of teachers of Indian children through an instructional program which promotes academic excellence. (2) To provide educational resources and services to those interested in Indian Education, with emphasis in meeting the needs of the Indian community and the students on campus.

The objectives are based on the goals of the Center and on the premise that the Center will demonstrate leadership in the field of Indian Education at the local, state, regional, and national levels. The objectives are as follows:

The goals and objectives of the Center are operationalized by the activities below:

An academic program that prepares teachers: (a) Elementary and secondary education majors at the undergraduate level can minor in Indian Education. (b) A Master of Arts Degree in Indian Education is offered. (c) Fourteen different courses dealing with various aspects of Indian Education are offered, i.e., Curriculum, Methods of Teaching Indian Children, Problems of Teachers of Indian Children, Guidance, School-Community Relations, Education of Indian Adults, Research, Reading and Conference, Independent Study, etc. (d) One credit hour, five-week modules are also offered and include: Historical Perspective: The American Indian and Education; Cultural and Value Concepts of Indian Americans.

Resource and Service to the Indian Community: (a) Annual Indian Education Conference. Now in its eighteenth year of providing a forum for critical issues in Indian Education. The next session will be held on April 15, 1977. (b) Journal of American Indian Education published three times a year, provides professionally written articles dealing with concerns in Indian Education. (c) Four Winds Newsletter. Monthly newsletter that communicates Indian Education concerns to the Indian community. (d) Publications/Research/Resource Documents.

(e) Extension Courses/Workshops/Conferences. A number of off-campus activities and co-sponsoring of conferences have taken place. The Center welcomes the opportunity to provide these services to the Indian community and schools that serve Indian students. (f) Student Assistance/Resource. Student advisement is offered. Resource and research documents, including newspapers, newsletters, various reports, research studies, curriculum materials, and books are available for student and community use.

In summation, the Center for Indian Education at ASU reaffirms its commitment to the education of Indian students. The program of teacher preparation and resource and service to the Indian community will continue to grow as activities are developed to meet the stated goals and objectives of the Center. Local need and input will continue to be the basis for program development Each institution concerned with the education of Indian students is challenged to do likewise.

1. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Office of Education. The Indian Education Act of 1972: Report of Progress for the Second Year of the Program, 1975, pp. 14-15.

2. U.S. Department of Interior. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Statistics Concerning Indian Education. Fiscal Year 1974. Lawrence, Kansas: Haskell Indian junior College Publication Service, .1974, p. 6.

3. U.S. Congress, Senate. Indian Education: A National Tragedy--A National Challenge. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1969.

4. Fuchs, Estelle and Havighurst, Robert J. To Live on This Earth: American Indian Education. New York: Anchor Press, 1973.

5. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The Southwest Indian Report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1973, p. 27.

6. The Navajo Division of Education. Eleven Programs for Strengthening Navajo Education. Albuquerque, New Mexico: Case-Modern Printing Co., 1974, p. 54.

7. U.S. Congress, Indian Education: A National Tragedy--A National Challenge.

8. Fuchs and Havighurst, To Live an This Earth: American Indian Education.