Working with American Indian/Alaska Native Students

Demographics

• Native Americans represent 2.4 millions citizens (2000 U.S. Census Bureau)– Majority of Native Americans live in Urban

communities as opposed to the commonly held view that they reside on reservations (2:1 ratio)

– 1.6 million citizens report Native American decent as one of the cultural distinctions in their ethnic and cultural make-up

– 4.1 million (1.5 percent) of the U.S. population report Native American affiliation (partial or complete)

Family and Cultural Values

• Native American families have a history of challenges due to the following historical factors:– History of genocide– Forced assimilation– Unemployment– Poverty – Relocation

Collective Family Values of >500 Different Tribes and 300 Different Reservations

• Sharing and cooperation

• Noninterference

• A cyclical orientation to time

• The importance of extended families

• Building relationships with all things

Challenges to Working with Native American Students

• Highest dropout rate of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States

• Unemployment and poverty rates among Native Americans negatively contribute to increased child abuse and neglect, separation and divorce rates, and single-parent families

• High rates of alcoholism among in families, especially teens

• Suicide represents the second leading cause of death among Native American youth

Challenges to Working with Native American Students, Cont.

• Second highest minority group referred for special education services

• Lack of cultural awareness and understanding among educators working with Native American families

• More than half of Native American children who attend kindergarten today will never graduate from high school

• High levels of hopelessness