American Indian tribal values: a critical consideration in the education of American Indians/Alaska Natives today

Abstract

The education of American Indians and Alaska Natives has increasingly become more complex given the differences in tribal languages and cultures, especially as changing demographics and issues of Indian identity are considered. There are over 200 languages and vast cultural differences between and within the 565 federally recognized tribes in Indian Country. Adding to the complexity are the various types of schools, colleges, and universities that are educating Native students. Many educational institutions are identifying tribal values as a way to provide an overall framework or as “guiding principles” to teaching, learning, research, and governance. This analysis will examine the literature on the use of tribal values, focus on a qualitative study of Comanche attributes, and discuss the implications for research and practice in education and American Indian Studies.

Keywords:

• American Indians
• American Indian education
• traditional values

Notes

1. The terms American Indian, Indian, Native, and Native American are used interchangeably to refer to the Indigenous peoples of North America.

2. Detailed histories of Indian education can be found in Szasz (1999) and Reyhner and Eder (2004).

3. John William Tippeconnic was the first Comanche to earn a Master’s degree. He received his degree in education in August 1942 from Arizona State Teacher’s College (Northern Arizona University).