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[article provided by LH. Thanks!]

http://archives.seattletimes.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?storyID=38b00fa338&query=native+american

Copyright © 1999 The Seattle Times Company
Opinion/Editorials : Sunday, February 20, 2000

Help wanted: Native-American teachers to help set record straight

by Kristine Shotley
Knight-Ridder News Service

There is a terrible shortage of Native-American teachers. And the U.S.
government needs to get serious about giving our young people the
high-quality education they deserve.

The Education Department has recently developed a $10 million program to
train and certify Native-American students and teacher's aides to work in
reservation classrooms.

As a Native American who once wanted to teach, I applaud the action, but I
believe we need more than just money to address the shortage of teachers in
my community.

When I was studying to be a teacher, a white female student in the same
program asked me what I thought my chances were of finding a job after
graduation. I replied that because I am Native American, and a woman, I
thought I would have excellent opportunities for immediate employment.

"How nice," she said, "to turn two negatives into two positives!" I was
taken aback. It had not occurred to me that in this day and age, I would
still have to defend my identity.

Most Native-American children are still taught by non-Native teachers. There
are fewer than 18,000 Native-American teachers working today. And, on
average, one out of every three teachers on reservations leaves every year,
according to the American Indian College Fund.

Native Americans who wish to become teachers need extra support and
encouragement. Our needs are often different from those of the majority, and
many of us don't fit the traditional college profile. We tend to be older
and have extremely limited incomes.

To recruit more teachers, we need to develop curricula that affirm our
Native-American identity. For example, elementary-school students need to
learn an accurate and truthful account of American history. How many times
do we have to reiterate that Christopher Columbus did not "discover"
America?

When I was growing up, Native-American history was not taught. I endured the
appalled looks of my white classmates when our teachers presented a
one-sided account of American history. I felt apologetic for my ancestors
who tried to defend their lands from white settlers.

And here's another suggestion for encouraging and retaining Native-American
teachers: Employ native elders as cultural envoys and special guests in
public and private schools. They can bring humor, wisdom and storytelling to
students.

This experience could enlighten white children who think Native Americans
still live in teepees, steal horses, use beads as money and wear only
buffalo-hide clothing. Native-American children would feel validated by
seeing one of their own people in an honored position.

It's about time the U.S.addressed the lack of Native-American teachers. I
want my son and other Native-American sons and daughters to realize they can
become anything they choose because they have the educational background
they need.

---
Kristine Shotley is a member of the Fond Du Lac Tribe of
Ojibwe in Minnesota. She writes for "The Circle," a
Native-American news and arts paper published in
Minneapolis. Her e-mail address is
<pmproj@progressive.org>
 

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