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Native American Group. Kim, Jeff, Omie, Gabe, Dane, Matt, and Jason. A brief history….
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Native American Group Kim, Jeff, Omie, Gabe, Dane, Matt, and Jason
A brief history… • Contact with such advance agents of civilization was principally along the valley of the Columbia River, and Astoria will always be remembered as bearing witness to the transient attempts of the American Fur Company to establish a permanent trading organization in this region under the American flag. • The coast tribes seem to have been affected little or not at all by the settlements of the Spaniards in California, and those of the interior were influenced only in slightly greater measure by them through the introduction of the horse. Nor were these tribes reached so extensively by the employees of the great fur companies.
Schools • From Colonial times, various forms of schooling for Native Americans were instituted by Christian missionaries; however, It was not until reservations were established that an organized federal school system for Native Americans was formed. • The first mission and manual labor school for Indians in Oregon was constructed in1835 at Mission Bottom on the east side of the Willamette River, near present-day Chemawa. Historical records suggest that during the mission school's brief existence students lived there and worked on the farm. With the influx of white settlers and the death of the local Indian population, primarily from disease, the school failed and in 1841 was relocated to Chemeketa on Mill Creek. Renamed the Indian Manual Training School, it became the Oregon Institute in 1844; the legislature granted the school a charter in 1853 as Willamette University.
At the five remaining boarding schools still operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, students are now encouraged to explore and enhance their understanding of Indian history and their own individual tribal cultures and traditions.
Confederated Tribes of Oregon • Burns-PaiuteTribe • Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw • Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde • Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians • Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indians • Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs • Coquille Tribe • Cow Creek Band of Umpqua • Klamath Tribe http://www.atnitribes.org/oregon.htm
Portland At A Glance • Portland, Oregon, is the 23rd largest city in the United States, but the Portland metro area represents the 9th largest Native American community in the United States. • 38,000 Native American people live in Multnomah County. The 2000 U.S. census cites approximately 31,000 Native people living in the city of Portland. • Out of every 100 Native students who begin as freshmen in high school, only 34 will graduate from Portland public high schools in their senior year. Of those 34, a mere 17 will receive a standard diploma. • In Multnomah County, according to the 2000 census, 25 percent of the Native population earns less than $10,000 per year, and 25 percent earns less than $24,000 per year. This means that fully half of the Native population lives in deep poverty
How is ethnicity determined? According to the DDSD District office, schools in Oregon are now required to ask a two part question when students are registering forschool.Part 1: Are you Hispanic or not.Part 2: What race are you (black, white, native american etc.)*** Interestingly, apparently if a student answers yes, that they areHispanic, then that overrides their being Native American. That is, ifthey say both that they are Hispanic and Native American, they arerecorded as Hispanic, not Native American. This started in 2009. ***
Native Americans in PPSD: 642, 1.4% • Support Program: The Title VII Indian Education Project Portland Public School District
Title VII Indian Education Project • “the purpose of the Portland Public Schools Title VII Indian Education Act Project is to improve the academic success of American Indian/Alaska Natives through supplemental services that support the culturally related learning needs of project enrolled children and youth.” • Portland's Title VII Project is focused on three major areas: Improved academic achievement, increased student retention, increased Native cultural awareness/connections . • All students are offered basic school supplies, resource and referral, advocacy/intervention, student incentives, summer programs, native cultural opportunities, awareness and cultural activities, family literacy, and early childhood information.
Resources Through Title VII for High School students • Staff monitor the progress of Project enrolled high school students and provide support services as needed. • Cultural education workshops. • Parents receive resource and referral information to other local culturally-specific programs and services • Teachers may nominate a student for Student of the Month recognition and awards provided by the Parent Committee • Basic school supplies • The Talking Circle newsletter outlines many special opportunities for Native students • Periodic field trips to various locations are offered • Students are invited to special gatherings to meet other Project students to learn more about Title VII services and other opportunities • Annual Financial Aid Workshop provides students with all the information needed to prepare for and successfully apply for colleges and numerous culturally -specific scholarship opportunities. • Annual Honor Day Celebration recognizes Title VII seniors who have successfully met high school completion requirements
Native American Students: 100 students, .8% • Tigard-Tualatin's minority student population has more than doubled in the last decade to more than one-third of the district. Tigard-Tualatin School District
The district pairs mentors and mentees together to explore concepts such as leadership, racism and equity. The district is banking on these relationships to help engage students in school and increase their confidence. • The district is using part of its $6 million, four-year federal Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative to pay for the program. Support Program: Intercambio Intercambio, a mentoring program for students of color in the Tigard-Tualatin School District pairs high school students with at-risk middle schoolers once a week
Beaverton Schools Native American Enrollment Elementary: 93 Middle Schools: 45 High Schools: 70 District: 208, .6%
The Beaverton School District with the aid and support of the Diversity Committee will: • Increase support, recruit and retain the racial and cultural diversity of the District’s staff; • Support varied curricula, instructional and assessment practices creating a climate of safety where all members of the school community are expected and encouraged to respect and appreciate all individuals; • Promote equity for all students by ensuring that standards reinforce high student achievement and elimination of achievement gaps; • Develop organizational practices and policies that encourage and include the participation and perspectives of all community groups; and • Enhance the curriculum to include contributions and perspectives of all members of the school community. Native American Club Otto Abahazy's Native American Club students received the Signal to Noise Festival Director's Award for their documentary, "Beaver Lodge Singers: The Heartbeat for Future Generations". http://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/home/video/77/
Other Districts at a Glance Reynolds School District American Indian/Alaskan Native Students: 119 1.1% Hillsboro School District No Data on Native American Population Gresham/Barlow School District American Indian/Alaskan Native Students: 132 students 1.1% of the student Population Centennial School District 1% of students are either Native American or Pacific Islander.
Thoughts on Barriers • According to Rachel Dushman in the Native American Center at PSU: • Most of the native population hasn’t been to college, so there is the first generation barrier. • Native Americans are also more susceptible to health problems like diabetes and alcoholism. Also the largest minority group to be incarcerated are native Americans. • The learning style in the school system is not always accessible to the native population. Students come from a background of oral tradition and lots more hands on learning than is done in schools. • Students also can’t relate to the religious beliefs that are commonly recognized in schools. Teachers don’t always teach the truth about US history, for example, the pilgrim and Indians on Thanksgiving and Columbus discovering America.
Barriers Continued… • The lack of Native American teachers is an issue. • Only half of Native American children who attend kindergarten today will never graduate from high school. • Suicide represents the second leading cause of death among Native Americans between 15 ad 24 years old. • Native Americans are the second highest minority group referred for SPED services • Poverty
Public schools often refer Native American students that are struggling to NAYA. • NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center) is an alternative school that offers high school and some college credit, while emphasizing Native culture throughout the curriculum. • NAYA also offers various youth, family, employment, housing, and community development to Native Americans. • 125 students are currently attending the NAYA Early College Academy. • A representative of NAYA stated, “It is hard to live in the white world, so they come here to be with us.” • “NAYA has adopted the view that individuals can be assessed and treated most effectively when all the elements of their life are considered.”
NARA (Native American Rehabilitation Center of the NW) Founded in 1970 in Portland, Oregon, the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, INC. is an Indian owned, Indian-operated, non-profit agency The mission of NARA, NW is to provide education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment that is culturally appropriate to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other vulnerable populations.
Other Support Programs • Tobacco prevention and education project • Diabetes program • Problem gambling project • Womens wellness program • Nak-Nu-Wit, which provides advocacy and intensive services to American Indian/Alaska Native youth and families who are working to overcome trauma, find balance and restore their emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health.
An Interview with Keith I interviewed my friend Keith to learn more about his life, the Nez Perce, Native American Culture, and his educational experiences.
Keith’s Background Keith was born at the Multnomah County Hospital in 1981. His mother is Nez Perce and was homeless in Portland at that time. A Quaker family involved in education adopted him two days later. Keith was raised in Southern Carolina and returned to Portland several years ago to find his origins and learn more about his culture.
