SECTION V REPORT AND ANALYSIS OF FIELD ACTIVITIES A. INTRODUCTION As a part of its information gathering and investigative techniques, the Task Force on Indian Education participated in and conducted a wide range of field activities. These involved both individual and total Task Force member participation, and involved the following meetings: annual conventions of national, regional and state and Indian education organizations; seminars for university students and personnel of state department of education; site visits to off-reservation and on-reservation boarding and day schools: interviews with federal, state, and tribal officials, including former Commissioners of Indian Affairs and Directors of Indian Education. In addition, public hearings were conducted in various parts of the country and Washington, D.C. In order to insure that Indian people throughout the country were provided a forum, cooperative arrangements were made between Task Forces 8 (Urban Indians) and 10 (Terminated and Non-Federally Recognized Indians) with this Task Force to solicit information in their surveys and hearings of mutual concern about the education of their constituents. In addition, a number of joint hearings were conducted with those Task Forces. The Task Force utilized surveys to reach the various Indian parent committees, tribal councils, Indian organizations, local education agencies, and state departments of education. Their perceptions of their roles and responsibilities were sought as well as areas of concern which needed administrative or legislative clarification. These findings are interwoven in our hearing charts and are inserted in appendices T and W. Our primary objective throughout our field work has been to actively seek Indian opinion from Indian parents, Indian educators and administrators, advisory committee members, and other individuals active in the education of Indian children. Our emphasis is heavy in this area because a review of public documents indicates scant information in the record, particularly from parents. We heard from all Indian people-federally recognized and non-federally recognized-living in both urban and rural areas. Opinions were solicited which dealt with the federal obligation for the education of Indians, the quality of the educational program, the type of educational institution and setting, the educational staff, involvements between the school, the community, and the parents, counseling and its effectiveness, the administration of educational programs from both a federal and local level, and training and technical assistance needs of both the administration and community people. There was striking similarity in all the testimony on problems and unmet needs in educating American Indians. A general summary of the hearing findings indicates that through the cumulative effect of unmet educational needs and unresolved service problems, the education of Indian children often falls at least two years behind the minimal level recommended for graduation from high school. Although the circumstances that have produced this result may vary from one community to the next, the hearings have shown some of these factors to be shared by Indian tribes and communities throughout the United States. For example, the majority of Indians testifying cited the unresponsiveness of the various federal agencies to specific educational needs of tribes, contract and boarding schools. They also indicated that tribes, Indian organizations, and local Indian communities should be given responsibility for determining the eligibility criteria for participating in educational programs for the benefit of American Indians. B. SUMMARY To facilitate use of the data compiled through the hearing process, the testimony presented has been analyzed and summarized in terms of issues and statements of needs. The charts below tabulate the most frequently discussed concerns in Indian education on a state by state basis. They provide a general overview of both widespread and localized issues and concerns and do not attempt to reflect every issue raised at the Task Force hearings. In viewing these statements of need and issues from several perspectives: regional, local, and individual, certain inferences can be drawn. The concerns of Alaska and Southwestern witnesses, for example, were the most unique. The influences of geographical and social isolation remain pervasive factors which dictate the kind and manner of educational services needed by the local residents. For Alaskans, the severe climatic conditions also contribute to unique needs which no other area experiences with the same degree of intensity. Despite the differences in issues and needs among the various areas testifying, there were also many that were repeatedly considered. Testimony indicated that in all areas represented, there is a need for increased appropriations for designated, necessary educational services. There was also a regular occurrence of statements indicating that the manner in which education funds were distributed had to be improved. One of the most frequently mentioned changes proposed was the consolidation of all Indian education programs under one national office. Many witnesses indicated that the excessive costs and complications of operating programs from the various federal levels (U.S.O.E., B.I.A.) tended to limit the overall impact of Indian education funds. Service delivery became more complicated as program funds were channeled through state and then tribal or local education agency (LEA) administrators. Thus, despite their different perspectives, most witnesses appeared to advocate major revisions and reforms in the administration of Indian education programs. It is clear from these hearings that the role of Indian parents in their children's education is becoming a more active one than it has been in the past. Widespread concern was expressed over the role of parents and community members in the development and implementation of Indian education programs. (155) |