Allie

Arantxa

Understanding American
Indian Children and
Adolescents

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
cpGfyp6MxkM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
79jSVliKzug

Introduction/History
Long history of
interaction between
Native American Indians
and European
Americans which can be
divided into 5 time
periods:
Removal (17th century1840s)- President Andrew
Jackson signed into law the
removal of Native
American Indians from the
southern states of
America. Native American
Indians were to withdraw
from areas east of the
Mississippi River. Due to
political and military

Reservation (1860s1920s)- After being

forced off their native
lands, in the 19th
century, federal policy
dictated that tribes were
to be confined to fixed
land plots to continue
their traditional ways of
life.

History Cont.
Reorganization (1930s-1950s)- After seeing
that reservation of tribes was not suitable for
their lifestyle. The Reorganization Act or Indian
New Deal was governed for the Native Indians to
promote tribal self-government.
Termination (1950s-1960s)- Indian living
conditions were horrific so that the US
government had to take action. US government
basically took the Indian lands of their rich
resources and let them live in mainstream
America. This was called the Termination Policy.
Self Determination (1973-present)- Native
American Indians social movements, legislation,
and beliefs in which they exercise selfgovernances and decision making. Self-

American Indians Today

American Indians number more than 500
tribes.
Larger tribes include: Cherokee, Navajo
and Chippewa
14 tribes have populations between
10,000 and 21,000 and the rest have less
than 10,000
Nearly one half of American Indians live
west of the Mississippi River
More than half of American Indians live in
just six states: Oklahoma, California,
Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, and

Stereotyping of American Indian

Children and Adolescents
https://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=EmqI6S
z_TR4
Stereotypes
Rebellious
Experience
difficult/stressful times
Slow learners
Shy
Drunks
Get free money from
the government
Receive large sums of
money from their
casinos
Undependable

All American Indians

Are at one with nature
Deeply religious
Wise in ways of spirituality

Cultural Characteristics
Patience and passive temperaments are part
of American Indians evolving identity
American Indian children are taught to be
patient, how to control their emotions, and to
avoid passionate outburst over small matters.
Poise and self-containment become ingrained
in their identity.
Mistakenly perceived that they are uncaring
Tendency to lower their voices to communicate
anger, unlike European Americans who learn to
raise their voices to convey a message.

https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=f4vkq2ztxSw
I know every rock
The rainstorm and the
and tree and
creature, Has a life
has a spirit has a
name.
You think the only
people who are
people, are the
people who think
and act like you

river are my brothers

We are all connected to
each other in a hoop, in
a circle that never
ends.
Can you paint with all
the colors of the wind?

 American Indian adolescents who are

attending European American schools
experience degrees of cultural confusion
They question allegiance to a cultural
identification which poses the dilemma of
keeping their rich cultural heritage while
seeking acceptance in European American
society.

GENDER: females
American Indian Females are taught
certain cultural and tribal beliefs from birth
that influence their roles
Maintain respect for power of words. They
are socialized to use words positively
(inform, think, reconcile).
Encouraged to be strong and resilient in
the face of tragedy.

Socioeconomic Status
American Indians in
US are
Poorest economically
Least employed
Unhealthiest
Low education & income
levels
Worst-housed ethnic group

Turning it around:
Strong will & determination of
American Indians are enabling
them to improve their life.
Their lands contain rich energy
resources: gas, oil, and uranium.
Attempting to break poverty and
have many notable achievements.
Navajo Nation build wire
harnesses for Ford Motor
Company
Seminoles in Florida own a 156room hotel

Families
The immediate and extend families, tribe, clan,
and heritage all contribute to the childs cultural
identity and play a significant role in overall
development
Grandparents retain an official and symbolic
leadership in family communities.
Any crisis in the home or within the family
precipitates an absence from school until the
crisis ends and the family situation returns to
normal.
The early training in self-sufficiency that
American Indians receive from their families and
other significant adults continues to have an
impact during the adolescent years.

Religion
According to American
Indian belief, the world is
interconnected and
everything, including
humankind, lives according
to the same process.
Every part of nature has a
spirit that many tribes
believe possesses
intelligence, emotion, and
free will.
Because the Great Spirit is
everything in all of nature,
there is no need to
question the existence of a
god.

Language
American Indians tend to speak more
softly and at a slower rate and to interject
less frequently with encouraging head
nods and verbal acknowledgements.
American Indians view languages as a
crucial aspect of the culture and a
cherished gift that should be used
whenever possible.
Wide scale differences exist in American
Indians ability to speak English.
As few as 4 percent of American Indians
speak excellent English.

Achievement Levels
Function at the average-to-superior range
until the fourth grade.

Several factors contribute to this

A growing feeling of isolation

Rejection
Anxiety as they confront the incompatibility
of their cultural value system with peers.

These feelings contribute to

Alienation
Poor self-image
Withdrawal

 Teachers sometimes view some behaviors

that American Indian students exhibit as
rude or insulting
Avoid the teachers gaze
Do not volunteer answers
Delay response

As their cultural background has taught

them to do, they are seen as lazy or
uncomprehending

Dropping out of school

Many reasons why for dropping out of
school
School rules are not enforced uniformly
Factors pertaining to teacher student
relationships
Teachers not caring about students and not
providing sufficient assistance

Disagreements with teachers

The content of schooling, which the
students perceive as not important to what
they want to do in life.

Often forced to renounce their own

culture, these learners are torn between

 Educators who
understand
American Indians
cultural
characteristics can
help prevent school
failure in American
Indian learners.
https
://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=
HnPKzZzSClM

education American Indian

students:
Teachers should strengthen connections with
American Indian students.
Teacher training in native cultural competencies
is a positive step toward increasing teachers
understanding and commitment to forming
positive relationships with their students
School-wide anti-bullying, anger-management,
and substance abuse programs also may
contribute to academic achievement
School-wide screening may be effective in
identifying American Indian students when they
first begin to fall behind in achievement or
attendance

As teachers we should be
able to address that:
American Indians often place emphases on
generosity, sharing and cooperation
American Indians sense of generosity and
cooperation efforts make it difficult not to
help a friend in need, like a fellow
classmate
American Indians have more flexible
concepts of time that do other cultures;
that is, students might not arrive to class
on time and might be late with
assignments.

 The American Indian adolescent may

demonstrate behavior that teachers
perceive as excessive shyness, inactivity,
or lack of motivation
Adolescents whose teachers
misunderstand or culturally misconstrue
these characteristics may develop feeling
of hopelessness and alienation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
TDqjkpyNagw

Educators can benefit from

understanding these common
characteristics of American Indians:
American Indians often harbor significant
feelings of suspicion and distrust of
professionals and institutions
Communication problems may result in an
inability to understand, trust, and build
rapport with peers and professionals of
other cultures
American Indian adolescents develop in an
often unique and difficult situation
American Indian learners have to decide
whether the Indian, other culture, or
European American culture should provide

Promoting Cultural Identities

Readily recognize the many personal and
social factors that affect childrens and
adolescents self-esteem and cultural
identities
Injustice and discrimination, poverty, low
educational attainment, and perhaps
growing up on reservations, foster homes
or in a predominantly white society may
cause American Indian learners to
question their self worth and the worth of
their culture

Summing up
Have a proud history of
accomplishments and
notable contributions and
these should be part of the
school curricula
Avoid providing curricular
and instructional practices
that indicate only one
culture that might make it
seem alien to American
Indian learners
Must address achievement
levels and school dropout
rates
Promote positive selfimages and cultural
images

Adapt teaching styles and other

activities to meet American Indians
ways of understanding something
Understand the American Indian
culture and everyone elses cultural
characteristics, religious orientations,
and socioeconomic backgrounds
Provide learning experiences so that
learners of other cultures can develop
a better understanding of their
American Indian peers
Understand the learners
development, and provide school
experiences based on developmental
and cultural characteristics

Questions?