Navajo Students and Dartmouth (education)

Navajo students' uncanny relationship with Dartmouth is rooted in history
By Jenny Kane jkane@daily-times.com Farmington Daily Times
Updated:
Daily-Times.com

FARMINGTON — Ask some of the highest achieving Navajo students where they want to go to college and a good number of them will say, "Dartmouth."

Dartmouth, located more than 2,300 miles away from the Navajo Nation, costs about $50,000 a year to attend. It admits only about 1,000 students a year and is one of eight colleges in the country classified as "Ivy League."

It's no coincidence that, of all the well thought of institutions in the country, they say Dartmouth.

Since its founding in 1769, the school has been geared towards educating Native American students. Its mission, however, has changed drastically.

"One of the objectives was to assimilate (the Indian children) ... and minimize the conflicts," said N. Bruce Duthu, chairman of Dartmouth's Native American studies program.

The school began as a charter school founded in the name of King George III of England. It would educate any children in the community, which today is in Hanover, N.H.

The charter that funded the school said that the school would be "for the education and instruction of Youth of the Indian Tribes in this Land ... and also of English youth and any others," Duthu said.

Few Native American children wanted to attend the school, though, because it was far from their homes and had a curriculum that separated them from the traditions they knew.

In its first 20 years, the school only enrolled 19 Native American students.

"That's less than one a year," Duthu said.

In fact, not until 1970 did the college again make it a priority to enroll Native American students.

The college, at that time, made a commitment to return to its roots and create a campus where Native American students could pursue a quality education, and feel like they were a part of the campus community, Duthu said.

The college appears to have succeeded.

The college has more Native American undergraduates than all the other Ivy League schools' Native American student populations combined. It admits about 40 Native American students per year.

"One of the main reasons I came here was the Native American studies major," said Preston Wells, a senior at Dartmouth. "It's the only (Native American studies) major in the Ivy League, and it's the best in the nation."

Wells, a member of the Choctaw Nation, came to Dartmouth from Hugo, Okla. He now is a member of the Native American House on campus, a home that has more than a dozen Native American students living in it.

"There's a lot of Navajos," said Wells.

Navajo and Cherokee students make up the bulk of the Native American student population because those tribes have the largest populations, both Dartmouth students and faculty said.

"There's always a ton of students that get in on the fly-in," Wells said.

The college's fly-in program is an effective promotional tool, students and faculty said. The program pays for a three-day visit for many Native American students' considering enrolling. They receive a complimentary round-trip flight, and often free lodging and meals.

"Dartmouth gets them here, and then they see it, and they want to go here," Wells said.

And they see all of the comforts it has to offer. Not only do they offer a wealth of classes in Native American studies, they also have a program that has activities and support primarily for Native American students.

Wells is even trying to start a branch of Phi Sigma Nu, a Native American fraternity that has various branches across the country, most of them on the East Coast.

The school already has a Native American sorority on campus.

"Now that we have so many alums, they act as ambassadors," said Duthu. The school's alumni spread word of the opportunities that Dartmouth has for young Native Americans, he said.

Even post-college a lot of the students receive guidance and financial assistance in pursuing internships and jobs after they graduate.

"We have a pretty phenomenal rate of our students who end up going into jobs that give back to Indian Country," Duthu said. "A lot of these kids go on to do remarkable things."

And, granted, unlike many of the students who go off to Ivy League schools, they did not come from silver-spoon families. Some of them came from homes where they had no running water, no electricity, and no support.

For many of those students, the education is free.

"If a student's family's income is below $70,000 a year, Dartmouth College offers a full financial aid package. All you have to do is get admitted," said Matthew Tso, a former Dartmouth student who now is the board president of the Central Consolidated School District. "Cost of attendance should not be a barrier that prevents high-achieving students from applying."

The experience, education, relationships, and memories obtained at Dartmouth College are priceless, he said.

The college has no intention of slowing its programs for Native American students, either.

The Native American studies program is growing each year, Duthu said, with between 500 and 600 students taking those courses. The majority of them are non-Native American students, though the majority of students who major in the program are Native American.

That, too, is changing, however.

More and more students who are not Native American are becoming interested in the studies, and more of the Ivy League schools are trying to expand their own programs, Duthu said, even though they are far behind Dartmouth's.

"It's just not a priority for them," Duthu said. "For us, the commitment goes all the way back to our foundation."

Drum & Feather (mascot)

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/55810828-77/utes-feather-tribe-drum.html.csp

 

(Kim Raff | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bode Kamai, 13, performs with other drummers during a Round Dance, organized by members of the Ute Indian Tribe, at Uinta River High School in Fort Duchesne on February 9, 2013.

Is it time for Utah’s drum and feather logo to go?

‘Moral obligation’ » Some in Ute tribe say U. profits from them, doesn’t give back enough. Sacred symbols » Some in other tribes say it’s not up to Utes if drum, feather are OK to use.

By Lya Wodraska | The Salt Lake Tribune

 

First Published Feb 17 2013 01:01 am • Updated 1 minute ago

It isn’t seeing her tribe’s name or sacred symbols on underwear that hurts Monique Thacker the most. It isn’t the occasional images of Utah Ute fans in headdresses partying in makeshift tepees that grate on Cameron Cuch.

It isn’t even the beating of drums, the Utes’ sacred symbol of Mother Earth, during University of Utah sporting events that stings tribal Utes.

 

 

 

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    At a glance

    —

    Use of Native American names and imagery at the U. of U.

    1950s » Utah, which used “Utes” and “Redskins” interchangeably from its earliest days, also starts using a boy named “Hoyo” as its mascot.

    1972 » The dual team name is dropped in favor of the “Utes.”

    1975 » Utah begins using the drum-and-feather logo

    1980s-90s » The Utes adopt the “Crimson Warrior” as a mascot. The horseman rode onto the field before football games and speared a hay bale.

    1996 » The Utes adopt a red-tailed hawk as the new mascot.

    2005 » The NCAA subjects Utah and 17 other schools to restrictions for using Native names, mascots or images. The Utes win an appeal after the Utes agree to the school’s continued use of images.

    November 2008 » U. Athletic Director Chris Hill acknowledges the school has started to phase out use of the drum-and-feather logo on all items deemed as permanent. The school also starts referring to the “drum and feather” as the “circle and feather.”

    December 2008 » Fourteen students protest on the U. campus with shouts of “we want scholarships” and “pay the bill, Chris Hill.” Dissatisfaction with the university’s decision to give up $2.1 million in federal grants for teacher training for American Indian students sparks the protest. The U. said it didn’t have $1.5 million in matching funds for 10 students as required. Instead, it hired a director of American Indian teacher education.

    2012 » The U. announces on Jan. 5 it will retain the Utes name and the circle-and-feather logo. The decision follows discussion with students, administrators and tribal representatives.“We have to be careful and sensitive,” Hill said, “to both the American Indian tribes and our fans.”

    California Conference on American Indian Education (event)

    California Conference on American Indian Education www.ccaie.org

    The 36th Annual California Conference on American Indian Education (CCAIE) has selected the theme-“Native Roots: Past, Present, and Future,” and is a opportunity to share traditional and academic teaching and learning. The conference honors the commitment of families and those who contribute to the advancement of Indian Education in California.

    Conference Goals:

    •To advocate academic excellence and educational opportunities for American Indian families, educators, tribal leaders, and board members;

    •To provide opportunities for networking among American Indian families, elders, tribal leaders, students, and educators;

    •To recognize distinguished educators parents, and students;

    •To honor our elders, who are our most revered teachers.

    This conference is made possible by the collaborative efforts of the 27 American Indian Education Centers located statewide, endorsed by the California Department of Education as well as many other supporters of American Indian education throughout California. Our hope is that your attendance at this year’s conference will be a positive experience and will result in lasting memories. We look forward to seeing you in Santa Barbara! 

    We are pleased to announce that this year’s conference will again offer a youth track. Great speakers are scheduled as well as interactive activities, including a trip to the University of California, Santa Barbara for youth, junior high and above, who are enrolled in the Conference.

    If you have any questions please contact Irma Amaro at 707-464-3512 or by e-mail at irma@ncidc.org or Rachel McBride at 530-895-4212 ext. 110 or by e-mail at rachel.4winds@sbcglobal.net  

    You can also go to our new website at www.ccaie.org

    The Call To Conference can be downloaded here:  http://ncidc.org/sites/default/files/feature-images/Call%20to%20Conference%202013.pdf

    Reflecting On College (profile)

    Native alumni reflect on College experience

    Alumni panelists spoke about their role in creating the Native American Studies program on Tuesday afternoon.

    Alumni panelists spoke about their role in creating the Native American Studies program on Tuesday afternoon.

    CECELIA SHAO / THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

    By Iris Liu, The Dartmouth Staff
    Published on Wednesday, February 6, 2013

    David Bonga ’74 and his Native American classmates’ first trip to Memorial Field was also their last. While today many students see football game attendance as a rite of passage, the presence of Dartmouth’s Indian mascot alienated Bonga and his peers.

    “We heard all these ‘wa-hoo-wah’ cheers and drums beating, and we were all pretty confused and uncomfortable,” he said. “I never went to another football game again, and I stayed off campus during fall quarters to avoid dealing with football season and the Indian mascot running around.”

    There were only three Native American students enrolled in the Class of 1973 when the Native American studies program was first established. Panelists Howard Bad Hand ’73, Michael Hanitchak ’73, David Bonga ’74 and Drew Ryce ’74 discussed the gradual, and at times painful, culture change the College has undergone since the program’s establishment on Tuesday.

    This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Native American Studies program, which now offers over 20 courses a year.

    “The ’70s represented a recommitment of our institution’s charter purpose,” Native American studies program chair Bruce Duthu ’80 said. “Reform was long overdue, and these activists planted the seeds of change.”

    The panel focused on early Native American students’ struggle to fit in at the College, and their efforts to incorporate Native American studies into the College’s curriculum.

    Bad Hand visited Dartmouth for the first time in the summer of 1965 with A Better Chance, a national nonprofit education program.

    He left feeling that the College lacked understanding of the Native American community.

    “It seemed like they were trying to tell us this used to be a school for Native Americans by showing off a couple of paintings and artifacts,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘This has to change. This really has to change. I’m going to come back in four years and change this place.’”

    Bad Hand returned as a freshman in 1969 and was one of three Native American students in his class.

    Determined to change the College’s course, he eventually helped recruit 15 Native American students to the Class of 1974.

    Those 15 students knew very little about Dartmouth before arriving on campus, and were even unaware that the College was all-male.

    “Almost all of us became very good friends,” he said. “It was out of necessity. It was out of our survival attitude.”

    The College appointed a director of Native American students that year, who was “constantly inappropriately drunk,” Ryce said.

    “The director was absolutely of no help,” he said. “We knew then that if we wanted anything to change, it would be up to us.”

    In the spring of 1971, the students met with former College President John Kemeny to propose ideas for social and academic reform, including changing the College’s mascot, implementing a Native American studies curriculum and increasing services for Native American students, Hanitchak said.

    Several Native American students whose native language was not English faced difficulties acclimating to the College, he said.

    “The English department said that English couldn’t be their second language, because they were U.S. citizens,” Hanitchak said. “People were so rigid in their views of us and so ignorant of the reality of the situation.”

    Despite these challenges, Bad Hand said he appreciates that the College did not relinquish its commitment to Native American students.

    By working with College faculty and administration, Bad Hand and his peers were able to build a community in which Native American students were able to fit in, yet maintain a sense of identity.

    “If we had blended in completely, we would have lost our traditions and our cultural identity,” Ryce said. “We wouldn’t be here today, because there wouldn’t be anything to talk about.”

    For Native American students, attending Dartmouth strained connections with their communities, since they were often away from their homes for extended periods of time.

    “We were scared of creating a program of forced assimilation, knowing that students would be separated from their communities for years,” Hanitchak said. “We didn’t want them to become the birds that fell out of the nest.”

    In retrospect, the panelists agree that their commitment to expanding the College’s Native American community has enriched life at Dartmouth.

    “You can have a vision, a goal you want to get to,” Bad Hand said. “The moment you share it, others can take it and bring it to life. Seeing how far the Native American Studies program and how far the community has come shows me that what we started has truly come alive.”

    Since the establishment of the Native American Studies Program in 1973, over 700 Native American students have attended Dartmouth. There are 174 Native American students currently enrolled.

    Community Language Archiving (event)

    Community Language Archiving
    Introductory Course
    June 3-28, 2013
    Tucson, Arizona

    Tribal archives are often the repository for historical documents and records of all kinds.  While language archives have been used primarily by linguists, more tribes are now seeking ways to either establish language archives or to add them to their existing archive program. The American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI) is offering a course, Community Language Archiving designed to aid in the understanding, creation and maintenance of a language archive.

    In this introductory course students will develop an understanding of best practices as they apply to creating and maintaining language archives with an emphasis on digital archiving and accessibility. The course includes an introduction to best practices, how to decide what to archive, how to create digital resources, and basic web design to facilitate access to resources in a digital archive.  At the end of the course students will have a basic understanding of archival development and an understanding of the resources available to develop a language archive. Students enrolled in this course will be required to bring their own laptop.

    Upon completion of the course, participants will earn 3 credits that can be transferred to a college or university program. The course is one of seven that will be offered as part of AILDI’s annual summer training program.  For more information about courses and the training program go to http://aildi.arizona.edu/2013-courses or contact COE-AILDI@email.arizona.edu , 520-521-1068.


    Alyce Sadongei
    American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
    University of Arizona
    www.aildi.arizona.edu
    sadongei@email.arizona.edu
    www.facebook.com/COE.AILDI
    (520) 621-1068; 626-4145 P
    (520) 621-8174 F

    Learning More Mohawk (language)

    Learning More Than a Language

    Intensive Kanien’kéha Course a Powerful Link for Mohawk Community

    SPECIAL ISSUE BY SAM SLOTNICK — PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 5, 2013

    Akwiratékha Martin’s grandmother, like so many of her generation in Kahnawake, didn’t see learning Kanien’kéha—the Mohawk language—as a priority for her children, or her grandchildren.

    Martin’s grandmother, who went by her English name, Marina, belonged to a generation who were beaten if they spoke Kanien’kéha, and were told their language was inferior to European tongues.

    But after having a stroke in the late stages of her life, Marina asked a then-17-year-old Martin to do something for her.

    “Akwiratékha, promise me that you’ll speak the language,” she said. Martin responded like any teenager might: “Yeah, Ma.” Marina passed away shortly thereafter.

    Martin not only kept his promise, for the past 8 years he has been helping others in Kahnawake fulfill promises they made to themselves, their relatives, their children or their community.

    Access full article below: 

    Racing To Save A Language


    WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013

    Racing To Save A Language


    The vesper landscape on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Barren Butte stands alone from the Barren Hill range. Photo by Dakota for The First Scout.

    Lakota Language Nest, An Immersion School
    Reviving A Language On The Knife’s Edge Of Extinction
    By Dakota for the North Dakota Humanities Council
    It is the heart of winter on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Gleaming white snow blankets the landscape, the Missouri River has turned to ice and the crisp cold air somehow makes every sound sharper–the peal of a bell seems to carry an impossible distance from town–but the sounds of children playing, laughing and singing warms everything.

    The children are in pre-school, ages three to four. Their high-pitched play echoes down the hall when their door opens. The pitch of little voices sounds like what one would hear in any other early child care service across the state, but listen closer and it becomes obvious that this isn’t like any other day care service. The children speak a mix of English and Lakota amongst themselves, but the teachers strictly speak only Lakota in the classroom.

    This preschool is called Lakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi, the Lakota Language Nest. It is an immersion school still in its first year of practice and based on the language nest model which was designed by the Maori people in New Zeeland. The language nest was established to raise language loss awareness on the reservation and to raise up a new generation of first-language Lakota speakers.