The Urgent Need for Indigenous-led Education
With deep roots in colonialism, western educational models were designed specifically to break down Indigenous identity and destroy Indigenous communities. From Indian Boarding Schools created to “Kill the Indian and Save the man” to current efforts to bar the use of Critical Race Theory and the accurate teaching of Indigenous history in this country, American educational systems have done more to accelerate the loss of language, culture, and tradition than to support the positive development of Indigenous children.
There has never been a more critical time for Indigenous communities to once again design their own educational pathways and experiences for their children.
The lasting and profound impacts of the federal government’s boarding school system have never been appropriately addressed. This attempt to wipe out Native identity, language and culture continues to manifest itself in the disparities our communities face, including long-standing intergenerational trauma, cycles of violence and abuse, disappearance, premature deaths, and additional undocumented physiological and psychological impacts.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, who leads the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative
The first schools created by the United States government for Indigenous youth were not schools at all–but institutions of forced assimilation guided by the call to “kill the Indian, save the man.”
Beginning in 1819, the United States operated or supported over 400 boarding schools across 37 states that forced untold horrors on Indigenous children: removing them from loving homes and communities, preventing them from speaking in their own languages, enduring physical and emotional violence, abuse, and sometimes death at the hands of their so-called educators.
The last of these schools closed only a little more than 50 years ago in 1969. And the racist systems that gave birth to the Indian boarding school movement continue to have devastating consequences for today’s Indigenous students, families, and communities.
- Educational Achievement Gaps: Indigenous students have the lowest high school graduation and college enrollment rates of any other group.
- Economic Inequality: 26 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native people live in poverty, the highest rate of any group.
- Health Disparities: Indigenous Americans have the lowest life expectancy of any other population–a reality closely linked to poor educational outcomes and high poverty rates.
The Path Forward: Indigenous-Led Education
Across Indigenous communities, we understand that education rooted in our distinct cultures, languages, and our own histories creates stronger educational outcomes for our children.
- Culturally relevant education allows students to clearly see themselves represented in what they are learning, leading to higher engagement and motivation.
- Opportunities to learn Indigenous languages deepens students’ connection and commitment to education–leading to better educational outcomes, increased self-esteem, and a stronger sense of cultural identity.
These indicators will not only result in higher high school and college graduation rates–they will support the long-term health and holistic wellness of Indigenous youth.