1. The First Nations Peoples
Chapter 8

2. Terminology – all are sin ominous
 American Indian
 Native American
 First Nations People

3. History at a Glance
 Native American were indigenous to the
Americas.
 The Europeans moved onto the land quietly at
first
 The governments then willfully decided to try to
eradicate the Native Americans
 Germ warfare was used to try and kill off the population this
included
 Smallpox, measles, and cholera and later would argue
Aids/HIV for lack of resources.
 Cultural Genocide
 Federal policy to separate native children from the
tribe sending them hundreds of miles away to
boarding school.
 This in turn diminished if not eradicated their

4. History Continued
 National policies were put into place to relocate
and essentially take over the Native peoples‟ land
 Two familiar examples: Trail of Tears in the
Southeastern part of the United States and The
Longest Walk in the Southwest.(1830‟s)
 1950‟s the US Federal Government used the law to
take over these peoples‟ land.
 Called the Termination Era

5. The Fight Continues
 The Native Americans were given reservations
throughout the United states. They were originally
governed by themselves separate from our
government called sovereignty. Some still are for
instance the Navajo in the southwestern part of the
US.
 Even today, however, the US government is finding
ways to move these people and take away their rights
that they originally gave them. Infringing on their
„indigenous sovereignty.‟
 1970‟s the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
(ANCSA) manipulated earlier policies which are now
weeding out the tribes of Alaska. If born after 1971
the people whether part of the tribes or not have no
more rights to the land.

6. Overall Outlook Of the Native
Americans
 The native people are very weary of working at all with the
US government and its workers including educators.
 The government continues to take pieces of their culture
away and the Native people seem „stuck‟ in a „damned if
you do and damned if you don‟t‟ situation.
 Because of the actions of the US government these people
on their reservations are very poor. They are not receiving
monies allocated to them. Due to no funding their
schooling is poor, the suicide rate is high in many places.
 The native population has found some ways to provide
funding; the casinos for example, but not all natives
believe that this is an ethical way of making money.
 The Us government has offered to pay the Natives to put
toxic waste dumps on their land. They would have
money, but what would the result in the long run.

7. Why should we be culturally
sensitive?
 In order to help these people whether from a
social workers position or an educators, we need
to understand their past.
 Why are they so against working with us?
 Should they trust what we are doing for them?
 Is it in their best interest or ours?
 This group of people really have no reason to
trust anything that we say.
 If we understand them culturally then perhaps
they will have a little more trust in us. Perhaps
we can help where help is needed.

8. A long Way Back
 This culture has almost been destroyed.
 Our Government needs to step up and make sure
that these people are give the rights promised to
them and leave their greed to the side.
 Some of these peoples continue to remain
culturally sound. They continue to speak their
language, continue to have ceremonies and still
live on their reservations trying their best to keep
hold of the past.
 We should not only be sensitive but do what we
can to understand and help.

9. Education
 According to the Associate Press the Native population in the
continental US and Alaska are the „least‟ serviced in school
 “The Bureau of Indian Education funds 183 schools for 42,000 American
Indian and Alaska Native children on 64 reservations in 23 states. More
than 90 percent of the Indian student population attends public schools.”
 “Indian fourth-graders scored 11 points lower in math than their peers in
2007. By eighth grade, the gap in public schools grew to 17 points.”
 http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/17/education-officials-say-indian-
students-need-standardized-testing-flexibility/#ixzz28IHAFuXV
 “American Indian and Alaska Native teenagers suffer from poverty,
suicide, teen birth, and substance abuse at rates higher than the
national average.”
 “The national graduation rate for American Indian high school students
was 50.6 percent in the 2004–05 school year, compared to 77.6 percent
for white students.”
 “Sixty-one percent of American Indian and Alaska Native eighth graders
attend schools where more than half of the students are eligible for free
or reduced-price lunch.”

10. What would you do?
 I thought that it was interesting that college
students were able to do a small exchange type
program where they go to live on the reservation
for a short time.
 I would love to do something like this. What a
chance to understand a whole culture that is right
under our noses, yet we barely think about.
 If it were up to you what do you think the most
important move of the US government should be
in order to help this culture find their way back?
 Do you think that better education of the
population may be a key to helping themselves?

11. References
 Associated Press, Washington. Education officials say Indian
students need less standardized testing, more flexibility. ©2012 FOX
News Network. www.foxnews.com
 Alliance for Excellent Education. Fact Sheet. American Indian and
Alaska Native Students and U.S. High Schools. Updated November
2008. www.all4ed.org
 Lum, Doman. Culturally Competent Practice. A framework for
understanding diverse groups and justice issues. 4th edition. 2011.