Shaping Indigenous Higher Education Through Successful Collaboration

1. Shaping Indigenous Higher Education Through Successful Collaboration Iris PrettyPaint, Ph.C., M.S.W. University of Montana Research Opportunities in Science for Native Americans (ROSNA) Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

2. Miracle Survivors: Promoting Resilience in Indian StudentsHeavyRunner & Marshall (2003) • Our people have long recognized how important it is for our students to have people “like you” who help protect, guide, encourage, support and nurture them. • This belief is what contemporary student affairs professionals are now calling a strengths-perspective, culturally-responsive practices or multicultural competencies. Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

3. IntroductionMontana Office of Public Instruction Why do student affairs personnel need this information? • Acknowledge the distinct and unique heritage of Indigenous students and commit in our educational goals to the preservation of their cultural integrity • Encourage other students to learn about the distinct and unique heritage of Indigenous students • Increase your understanding and awareness of Indian tribes Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

4. American Indian Core ValuesHeavyRunner & Sebastian Morris (1997) • Spirituality (Fellowship) • Child-rearing/Extended Family (Learning) • Veneration of Age/Wisdom/Tradition (Integrity) • Respect for Nature (Access) • Generosity and Sharing (Spirit of Inquiry) • Cooperation/Group Harmony (Collaboration) • Autonomy/Respect for Others (Diversity) • Composure/Patience (Service) • Relativity of Time • Non-Verbal Communication Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

5. Education for Extinction: Civilization Theory • Lewis Henry Morgan (1877). Ancient Society • Seven (7) Successive Stages that all civilizations must go through to reach the top • White Europeans were at the top. • Middle Barbarism • Uncivilized Indian “A theory can alter your viewpoint and change your consciousness” Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

6. Healthy Nations Survey Prayer & Ceremony Tribal Identity Tribal Language Sobriety Extended Family Other Native Professionals Tribal College Survey Family Support Surrogate Tribal College Family Caring Staff/Faculty Friends Spirituality Ceremonies Sense of Humor Cultural Resilience ResearchHeavyRunner-PrettyPaint (1985;1998) Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

7. Student Assessment • How do we know if American Indian students have learned what we are trying to teach them? • There are multiple forms of assessment for student achievement, teaching effectiveness, and institutional change available. • Offering mixed methods is the best model. Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

8. Bilingual Storyteller Oral Knowledge Creation Story Artistic Generational Kinship Knowledge Sense of Humor Connected to Elders Singer/Dancer Ceremonial Participation Indian Name Cultural Resilience Assessment Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

9. Effective Assessment… • measures meaningful learning outcomes in a fair, reliable, and accurate way. • easy to administer, score, and interpret. • informs educators about student performance and how students are interpreting course experiences. • results in meaningful feedback to the learner and is Itself a learning experience. Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

10. Colonization • An underlying concept that is essential to understanding the history of Indian policy in the United States. • The extension of a nation's sovereignty and physical presence over a territory beyond its borders in which indigenous populations are already residing. Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

11. Colonialism • Based in an ethnocentric belief that the colonizing nation has a superior lifestyle, values, customs, and morals as compared to the colonized populations. • This basis encourages the colonizing nation to impose (often by means of physical force) moral, socio-cultural, religious and linguistic values on the Indigenous populations. Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

12. White Man’s Burden/Colonialism • The belief once held by Europeans that they were obligated to civilize and “correct” the great unwashed heathen masses of the world. • Although considered a noble mission by some, in practice its consequences nearly always resulted in more human suffering. Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

13. General Principle of Sovereignty The power of a governing body to exercise both legal and physical control over the people, land and resources found within a defined territory However, the extent and breadth of tribal sovereignty is not the same for each tribe. Power and Control Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

14. What Are Sovereign Powers? • Enter into treaties • Make laws • Enforce laws • Determine criteria for citizenship or membership • Exclude people from territory • Promote and protect citizens/members and territory Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

15. Collaboration Lessons Learned • Multiple Types of Communication • Think Tank, Focus Groups, Listserve, Website, Email, “Red” Papers, Portals, Successful Model Monographs • Indigenous Leadership • Cultural Grounding, Flexibility, Commitment, Clear Expectations, Sense of Inner Confidence • Multi-Dimensional Networking Skills • Coordination, Cooperation, Collaboration • Culturally Competent Student Affairs Specialists Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL

16. Colonization Empowerment Oppression Self-Reliance Sovereignty Revitalization Treaties Repatriation Assimilation Renaissance Allotment Equity Termination Diversity Self-Determination Cultural Resilience This is a Journey of Understanding Iris PrettyPaint (2007) NASPA Multicultural Institute, Miami, FL