1. The Change in Native Americans Education Policies

2. Before Formal Education Before the 20 th century many Native Americans used their traditional ways childrearing. Although each tribe was different, they all supported and taught a sense of identity and a sense of community. Networks of family, clan, or lineage groupings educated the young. The youth were only considered mature when they demonstrated some mastery of economic skills, gained knowledge of their culture heritage, and had become spiritual. Once they started going to public or boarding schools, the Native American children their “Native educational heritage.”

3. The difficulty in developing an educational system that will support the needs of the Native Americans To develop educational systems for Native Americans, a system is needed that will promote development of the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic well-being of each individual, and serve as a symbol for the tribes of their ability to survive the invasion of foreigners.

4. New York Before 1846 there were no specific provisions for Indians to attends public schools  Indian children were allowed to attend public schools in communities that were near Indian reservations. In 1846 NY enacted legislation that limited the count of Indian children for public school funding to students that actually attended school at least three months of the previous year. In 1856 Indian schools were placed under the direct charge of the first superintendent of public instruction. In 1904 NY enacted legislation that provided for compulsory education of Indian children on Indian Reservations. As early as 1913 state annual reports on the status of the education of Indians recommended that Indian children attend white schools. In 1930 and 1931 the policy of integrating Indian children into publics schools began with the closing the Tonawanda Reservation schools

5. Educational Policy for American Indians In 1900 only half of American Indians were enrolled in school. In the 1990’s most Indian children were in public school. The majority of the Bureau of Indian Affairs funded schools in 1990 where located in Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, and New Mexico. Others were scattered throughout the country.

6. Churches and Education The turn of the 20 th century, the missionary movement among Native Americans continued  to “Americanize” them and make them less “Indian-like”. In the 1930s the mission role in Indian education continued and it focused on providing religious instruction in government schools and on providing Christian home facilities for Indian students for those who lived too far away to commute everyday. John Collier  from 1933 to 1945 he was the commissioner of Indian affairs and had a lot of impact on national Indian policy. Self-Determination Mission Schools in the 1990s

7. Indian Education Act, 1972 Started in 1967 with the formation of the Senate Special Subcommittee on Indian Education (led by Senator Robert Kennedy). Indian Education: A National Tragedy-A National Challenge The Senators recognized the importance of involving the Indian community in developing a new legislation  they invited representatives of the National Indian Education Association This act had 4 major parts. Part A  Funding for public schools serving Indian children. Part B  Direct grants to Indian tribes and organizations, colleges and universities, state departments of education, and other nonprofit organizations. Part C  Provided money for the education of adults. Part D  Called for an Office of Indian Education in the United States Office of Education.

8. Gros Ventre Early 20 th century the Gros Ventre understood that in order to progress, they needed to develop educated leadership and political self- determination. Industrial Boarding School (open from 1891 to 1934) was the organized education at Fort Belknap. St. Paul’s Mission School opened in 1887 and is still open and operating. 1993  most Gros Ventre children attend public schools, few go to off- reservation boarding schools. In 1977 the Fort Belknap Education Department was established. In 1984 they opened a community college. In 1988 there was a library and tribal archives put in. Now they are looking for funding for a museum.

9. Charts Figure 3: 1991-1992  total enrollment (71,490 students) Figure 4: Shows the different types of schooling found on the Navajo Reservation in 1992. Figure 5: Shows the languages being used on the Navajo Reservation.