During Native American Heritage Month, Consider These Resources

Every November, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month. This important period reminds us of the “history, heritage, [and] culture of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.” Here at NCAN, we honor the experiences of Native students, but this month also brings to the forefront the postsecondary access and attainment needs of Native students and the continuing inequities faced by Native communities.

NCAN has previously shared the following resources from the American Indian College Fund, an NCAN member, and they remain relevant and valuable today:

• Native Pathways: A College-Going Guidebook covers “how to get into college, choose a school, pay for it, and what to expect the first year in a way that speaks to Native cultures and experiences as students consider attending college.
• Creating Visibility and Healthy Learning Environments for Native Americans in Higher Education is a guide for higher education institutions.
• This list of resources geared toward American Indian and Alaska Native students that covers everything from college admissions to professional networking skills.

Beyond these, however, are a few other notable items that members serving Native communities should explore:

• Congressional Research Service, “Postsecondary Education of Native Americans.” Unfortunately, Native students are far too often hidden from educational statistics because of low numbers of students or inadequate data quality. This lack of representation in the data obscures these students’ educational conditions from policymakers and the public. CRS has a resource with useful statistics and data sources for Native American students.
• “How Noncognitive Factors and School Environments Correspond to Students’ Successful Transitions to High School.” This short (5-minute) video discusses research from the Regional Education Laboratory: Southwest that examined differential perceptions of non-cognitive skills among Native American, Hispanic, and White students in New Mexico that were associated with varying degrees of success in making a ninth grade high school transition. The video includes practical findings and takeaways for district and school leaders and community partners.
• “Preparing American Indian Students for College and Careers.” This webinar from the Regional Education Laboratory: Midwest explores “the importance of providing culturally responsive education,” specifically for American Indian Students.
• Finally, this perspectives piece from Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn hosted at the American Council on Education provides, “Indigenous Perspectives on Native Student Challenges in Higher Education” and concludes, “As equity and inclusion initiatives permeate our campuses, we must ask where our Native American students are in the services, representation, and work. They are more than an asterisk; they are their ancestors’ dreams and prayers coming into being.”

NCAN is grateful for all of our members serving Native students across the country and working hard to help these students overcome the hurdles that have been placed in their path to postsecondary education. We stand beside you in that work and in advancing that mission.

(Image via American Indian College Fund)

Read More:

• Christian Science Monitor: 'As Native freshman enrollment falls sharply, tribal colleges respond'