Native American Education and Employment

Current Issues and Proposed Solutions for Native American Population

Nov 9, 2009

Native American populations throughout the United States face special challenges in terms of education and employment opportunities.

These difficulties vary by state, social environment and tribal culture(s) (to name a just a few of the sociological factors that make up this intricate web of issues).

Educational Challenges and Proposed Solutions

“American Indian and Alaska Native students have a dropout rate twice the national average; the highest dropout rate of any United States ethnic or racial group. About three out of every ten Native students drop out of school before graduating from high school both on reservations and in cities.” (Reyhner, 1)

Many Native American students leave school because they feel discriminated against. Others drop out because of psychological ailments (at times born of this latent or overt discrimination), such as anxiety and depression. As Reyhner points out, another factor in the high drop out rates is the fact that many students believe they must choose between the Native American culture that is reinforced at home and a school system that goes against certain cultural tenets.

One solution to this conundrum would be to integrate Native American cultural elements into the traditional curricula, so that students feel as though their culture is being valued and recognized. Reyhner suggests Native American students could benefit from more contact with Native American instructors and time in community with other Native American students.

Though these suggestions are certainly valid, the scope needs to extend beyond the Native American student him or herself and into the traditional educational system. Dangerous paradigms and terminology, such as referring to students as “culturally disadvantaged” or “culturally deprived,” must by replaced by positive terms and connotations.

As Reyhner argues, the "traditional school system" has failed these dropouts rather than they having failed the system. By refusing to recognize the positive contributions and attributes of Native American populations, traditional education has put Native American students in a nearly impossible position, having to choose between adhering to their culture and academic success. Most choose the former.

In all fairness, there are many educators who are unsure of how to best educate Native American populations. Some White teachers face myriad forms of discrimination and stereotyping by the Native families and communities they serve.

Education is the key to making this complex relationship work. Now, more teacher training programs are requiring a basic competency in Native American culture before releasing teachers into the workforce. The more educators can learn and work together with students and parents, the better the situation will be for all involved.

Native American Post-secondary Education and Unemployment Rates

For Native American students who are able to navigate the traditional education system, their challenges do not end at graduation. Despite generous scholarship opportunities from a variety of sources, far fewer Native American students attend college than other ethnic groups in the United States.

One could posit that this is the result of low self-esteem due to culturally hostile educational environments or a desire to stay within a Native American community rather than moving away to attend college.

According to recent statistics, Native American populations are inclined to experience three times as much unemployment as White Americans. Moreover, as Tinker and Bush indicate, the actual unemployment numbers among Native American populations are much higher.

According to them, not only is there a dramatic difference between Native American and non-Native American unemployment figures reported for any county in the United States, there is also a severe undercount of Native American unemployment rates reported by federal and state government agencies.

These inaccurate numbers hide the reality of Native American unemployment rates that, in some cases, are up to twenty times higher than what is reported. Moreover, these miscounts result in less funding for government programs that could administer resources to improve employment rates among underserved Native American populations.

According to Tinker and Bush: “Most important, the undercounts point to the continuation of the corporate and institutional racism entrenched in a system that prevents Native Americans from improving their situation and procuring the resources necessary to ensure their well-being, both as individuals and as culturally discrete communities of people.”

Thanks to the work of the scholars cited in this paper, information regarding the systematic educational and employment-related injustices faced by Native American populations are continually coming to light. Hopefully, educators, administrators and governmental officials will begin to put in place new policies and practices to not just level the playing field, but create a field on which it is safe for Native American populations to play without having to sacrifice their cultural affiliations for academic success.

Tinker, George and Loring Bush. "Native American Unemployment: Statistical Games and Coverups,” in Racism and the Underclass: State Policy and Discrimination against Minorities. Eds. Shepherd, George W. and David Penna. Greenwood Press, 1991.

The copyright of the article Native American Education and Employment in Educational Issues is owned by Jen Bouchard. Permission to republish Native American Education and Employment in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.