Native Educational Sovereignty and Indigenized Schooling
As we celebrate Indigenous Peoples during National Native American Heritage Month 2022 here at Teaching Lab, we are excited to share the hopeful conversation we were privileged to have with two leaders in the national movement toward Native educational sovereignty and indigenized schooling. This movement is focused on cultural and language reclamation — and on the intentional school design and curricular work necessary for Native kids and communities in the U.S. to heal from the historical legacy of assimilation and cultural genocide.
The painful history of Native education in America is reflected in the educational outcomes of our Native students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics in 2015, in the 2013-14 school year only 70% of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students graduated high school in four years, while 82% of the total US Population. This graduation rate was lower than all other races/ethnicities as well as that of economically disadvantaged youth.
In this episode of Head, Heart, Habits & Equity, we build awareness of Native issues in American education and learn about the ways the Native American Community Academy (NACA) and its NACA Inspired Schools Network are supporting visionary Native leaders across the country to realize indigenized educational models. Among those leaders are Nathaniel Taylor and Sylvia Fred, co-founders of Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School in Red Lake Minnesota:
Nathaniel Taylor who is a Red Lake Band member from the Ponemah and Red Lake communities and co-founder/board of directors chairman at Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School.
Sylvia Fred who is a member of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and from the Yokayo and Guidiville Pomo Indians of California, and Co-Founder at Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School.
