Forrest Cuch presents some ideas on improving education for native Americans in Utah

1. Division of Indian Affairs presents
D f I d Aff
“Utah’s American Indian Education Crisis”
Information Series

2. Failure
In the past, attempts have been made
to help Indian People, but those
attempts hhave b
been b d upon
based
prescribed methods of helping white
A
Americans.
Those “one size fits all” methods don’t work.

3. Education C i i
Ed ti Crisis
Indian student dropout rates in rural
areas range from 60-80% statewide.
60-
The current state of education for Indian
children is appalling. They are
consistently at the bottom of every
standardized test given to Utah’s children.

4. Iowa T
I Test S
Scores for U h
f Utah
Grade 3 2006
White 68
Children with Disabilities 42
Pacific Islander 52
Hispanic 43
English Language Learners 43
Economically Disadvantaged 54
Asian 68
American Indian 45
African American 51
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

5. Iowa T
I Test S
Scores for U h
f Utah
Grade 5 2006
White 67
Children with Disabilities 35
Pacific Islander 47
Hispanic 36
English Language Learners 39
Economically Disadvantaged 52
Asian 68
American Indian 41
African American 47
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

6. Iowa T
I Test S
Scores for U h
f Utah
Grade 8 2006
White 61
Children w ith Disabilities 25
Pacific Islander 44
p
Hispanic 38
English Language Learners 37
Econom ically Disadvantaged 47
Asian 63
Am erican Indian 35
African Am erican 41
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

7. Iowa Test Scores for Utah
Grade 11 2006
White 62
Children with Disabilities 25
Pacific Islander 43
Hispanic 38
English Language Learners 37
Economically Disadvantaged 47
Asian 63
American Indian 35
African American 41
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

8. Self Reliance
Once, American
Once
Indians were fully
self reliant people
Will we be s lf reliant again someday?
b self li t g i so d ?

9. Cultural Differences
Typically, American Indians
are right brain dominant,
allowing for a culture rich in
creativity and history. Right
Brain dominance lends itself
to a prolific oral tradition
which has produced great
Sitting Bull
S B ll
communicators.

10. Cultural Differences
Cowboys Indians
 Patriarchal  Matriarchal
 Scientific  Spiritual
 Linear  Holistic
 Competitive  Cooperative
 Ownership of land  Land held in common
 Control of nature  Harmony with nature
 Analytical
y  Creative
 Hierarchy  Egalitarian

11. Ways to assist
Past efforts have been to eliminate
right brain learning all together
Goal should be
establish balance
and utilization of all
parts of the mind

12. Information Processing
Many culturally different people process
information differently. Consequently, any
instructional methods and programs that
emphasize psycho-motor development or
psycho-
techniques that open passages or neurological
pathways are most effective.

13. Programs that Help
g p
 Brain Gym
 Auditory Discrimination Endepth
 Glen Doman ICPD methods
 Brain Train

14. Other Effective approaches
 Small student teacher ratios
 Gaming g
 keyboarding

15. Achievement Gap
These cultural differences contribute
to the education achievement gap
which contributes to problems in
p
Indian communities

16. Cycle of Defeat
Social Dysfunction:
y Highly complex
g y p
economic plight, governmental and
criminal behavior, corporate business models
substance abuse
abuse, launched without an
educated/trained
maladministration
workforce
Mismanagement,
Delinquency,
Negligence, Exploitation

17. Pyramid of Success
Business
Development
p
Quality Management
& Governance
Leadership & Community
Development
D l
EDUCATION - Foundation

18. Indian Education
 Innovative Programs
 I di
Indian Ed
Education R
i Research & L
h Learning
i
Theory
 Curriculum Development
 Elementary and Secondary Teacher
Training
g
 Leadership/Empowerment Training
 Financial Assistance to
Schools/Scholarships

19. Leadership
L d hi
Focus
 Interpersonal Skills Development for Tribal
Leaders and potential future Tribal Leaders
 Determination of Community Readiness

20. Governance
Strengthen management skills:
• Personnel policies and procedures
• Financial policies and procedures
•P
Property and supply management
d l
• Single Audit Requirements
• Indirect Cost principles
• Reporting via performance and financial report
writing

21. Business skills training
Technical and professional assistance to
tribes in the following areas:
 marketing analysis
 feasibility plans
 business plans
 trouble-shooting business failure
trouble-
 long range economic development
planning
 financing information (federal, state, and
private sources), and affordable housing.

22. Choctaw Model of Success
1969
 Average schooling 6th grade l
A h li d level
l
 No education offered after 10th grade and no kindergarten
 70% without basic housing needs covered
g
 No running water or indoor plumbing, homelessness high
 80% unemployment rate – those employed are
sharecroppers
 $600 average yearly income
 Alcoholism, teen pregnancy, substance and domestic abuse
commonplace

23. Building a Foundation
1969-1985
 Put in their own superintendent and restructured
P i h i i d d d
education and standardized curriculum
 Opened adult education program
 Taught classes in Family life, home
management, thrift and economy, agricultural
g , y, g
science, preservation of wildlife and natural
resources
OOpened Y h R h bili i Center
d Youth Rehabilitation C

24. Industry
1979 - 1995
 Planned 30 acre industrial park
 Established Chahta Enterprise as supplier for
Packard Electric
 American Greetings opened a plant
 Choctaw Manufacturing opened
 Printing/direct mail/telemarketing firm
 American Plastics
 Silver Star Casino (most recent economic
development)
d l )

25. Today
 2nd largest employer in State of Mississippi
 12,000 jobs; 172.6 million payroll taxes
12 000 172 6
 5.8 mil property tax
 Prestigious Hammer award for outstanding
education reform
 85% speak Choctaw as their primary language,
g g
English second
 Bok Chitto Elementary selected to be a world
finalist for International schools Cyberfair
fi li t f I t ti l h l C b f i

26. Ending Statements
 Indian youth are our greatest resource
Anonymous
 If we lose this generation, we lose the past
generation
Leland Pubigee (NW Band Shoshone)
 Children are sacred beings
g
The Late Patricia Locke (Lakota)
(Lakota)
 The humiliation of children is the greatest evil
Elie Wiesel (Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor)

27. 10-
10-year Plan
 Leadership training
 Governance training
 Business Development
 Post High Academy
 Replication of Choctaw Success Model
 Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Outreach

28. Sources
 Conetah, Fred E. A History of the Northern Ute People, Salt Lake City:
University of Utah Press, 1982
 Cuch, Forrest S. A History of Utah’s American Indians, Utah State
y
University Press, 2000.
 DiBacco, Mason, Appy. History of the United States, NY: Hooten Mifflin
Co, 1991.
 Jennings Francis. The Invasion of America. NY: Norton 1975
Jennings, Francis Norton, 1975.
 Johansen, Bruce E. Forgotten Founders. Boston: Harvard Common Press,
1982.
 Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me. NY: Simon, 1995.
y
 U.S. Census Report for 2000.
 Weatherford, Jack. Indian Givers. NY: Fawcett Columbine Co., 1988.
 Purple Martin Domestication Copyright 1997 by Purple Martin
Conservation A
C ti Association
i ti

29. Contact Information
Division of Indian Affairs
324 S. State Street, Suite 500
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
801 538-8808