What kind of Education?

Blackbear · 06-01-2007, 06:35 AM

I was having a discussion earlier with someone and thought maybe this would be a good one for here.

Well all know that education and higher education should not only be promoted among native youth, but encouraged. But what kind of education? What do you want to see people bring home to the rez?

Does everyone need a law education? A teacher's education? How about business or what fields of medicine? How about social/ human services? Engineering or chemistry?

I don't mention art degrees because it's a given that if there is one stereotype that's positive of native people is that we are chock full of artistically talented people in all mediums from music and acting to fine arts and dance. And I know there are alot of people getting an arts education.

There's certainly no small share of intelligence or great minds out there... so what would you encourage the youth in your community to go for? What could they bring back home that would not only benefit themselves and the community, but give them a reason to come home again?

WhoMe · 06-01-2007, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackbear

What could they bring back home that would not only benefit themselves and the community, but give them a reason to come home again?

BB,

What I have come to realize is while we seem to be encouraging our youth to go out and get a higher education, we neglect to place an equal emphasis on youth to learn our traditional practices of healing, environmental care, philosophy, history, ceremony, language, etc.

There needs to be a balance.

Dat1NdnGuy · 06-01-2007, 02:08 PM

I know huh?...I noticed that too, its like BE A DOCTOR!! BE A DOCTOR BE A DOCTOR!!!!!....and with other folks its all, Come on, time to chop wood, lets go sweat, we got longhouse this comin up, then time to head off to this powwow next weekend (or insert local/tribal ceremony of choice HERE)...Git ur homework so u'll at least pass!

Whassup wit dat? its like ONE of the OTHER.

**Ndnsoldierboy** · 06-02-2007, 11:24 AM

Let ndns have come home with any degree...at least they have something to bring back...I think it B****** if you say an ndn shouldn't bring home a degree in art or whatever...at least they took the their time to go out and get one...why do I say this? I have a Niece who is in art school...she earned her way to be there, she had to go before a board....if you say thats B.S. oh well...get a life...she might be the next Remington or any other artist that made a difference in peoples lives.

**wardancer** · 06-02-2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackbear

I was having a discussion earlier with someone and thought maybe this would be a good one for here.

Well all know that education and higher education should not only be promoted among native youth, but encouraged. But what kind of education? What do you want to see people bring home to the rez?

Does everyone need a law education? A teacher's education? How about business or what fields of medicine? How about social/ human services? Engineering or chemistry?

I don't mention art degrees because it's a given that if there is one stereotype that's positive of native people is that we are chock full of artistically talented people in all mediums from music and acting to fine arts and dance. And I know there are alot of people getting an arts education.

There's certainly no small share of intelligence or great minds out there... so what would you encourage the youth in your community to go for? What could they bring back home that would not only benefit themselves and the community, but give them a reason to come home again?

Hey BB , Whome , In todays society ndn children , even those brought up traditionally , go away from the "rez" for an education. Those that are successful get jobs away from the "rez" and find that they can make substantially more money and have better benefits away from the "rez" Now I don't have any degrees , but I am a highly experienced mason , Union bricklayer , skilled and trained in the art of building restoration. I make a pretty good living , but if I were to move back to our tribal area , I would have to take a 50 to 60 % pay cut ! I know this because I considered this move some years ago .Personally , I would find that hard to take. In todays society , the quest for financial success is dominate and until we can find a way to level the playing field our children will continue to leave and not come back.
ndnsoldierboy , I don't think BB is discounting an art degree , I think she's just pointing out the stereotype. The question at hand is how to get them to come back. Is your niece going to get her degree and teach ? Will she come back to a "rez" area and work for 50% of the wages she could earn at a larger urban school ? Just wondering.....

**middle of the sky** · 06-02-2007, 12:57 PM

ive always been a city indian..dont think id move to a rez...dont know if id like it... or maybe i would..anywhoo...i think more indians should get into business and marketing more..big business....or eco tourism...i woulda have liked to have gone into business but i think i got brainwashed earlier that it wasnt good to make money...that i shoulda picked a job that helped the people..not get ridiculuosly rich..

trob226 · 06-02-2007, 03:35 PM

We should encourage native kids to do well in whatever area they enjoy and feel fulfilled in, just like any other kid.

**wardancer** · 06-02-2007, 06:34 PM

Ahhhh , but the question at hand , as I understand it is:
" What could they bring back home that would not only benefit themselves and the community, but give them a reason to come home again?"

trob226 · 06-02-2007, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wardancer

Ahhhh , but the question at hand , as I understand it is:
" What could they bring back home that would not only benefit themselves and the community, but give them a reason to come home again?"

What kind of education would NOT benefit the student and the community? I guess I think that native students having the hope of becoming whatever they want to be is the most important thing. Granted, a Lakota with a nuclear engineering degree might not be able to put his degree to the greatest use on the rez, but that doesn't mean he'd necessarily be of no benefit to the community there. Making good money off the rez could enable him to move money back there, and move himself back there with a nest egg when he hits 40 and decides he wants to teach third grade or something like that. Or he could get into a position off the rez that could influence business (and not just nuclear power plants and waste dumps) moving onto the rez - lots of nuclear engineers move into management and politics.

trob226 · 06-02-2007, 09:13 PM

I just thought of a real life example I could give. I used to work for an energy company that was actively working on locating a power plant (not nuclear) at the Four Corners. It never came to pass because of the Enron mess, but if it had, there would have been need for many different skills there - chemistry majors for fuel grading, mechanical and electrical engineers for the plant. If we could have had Dine people to fill those kinds of positions, we'd have been thrilled, and so would they. I didn't work for Enron, but Enron broke my heart in a lot of ways, this being one of them.

wyo_rose · 06-04-2007, 03:02 PM

It would be nice if our Business Council had BUSINESS degrees. Or any degrees at that.

go figure

Anyway, I think if someone has a passion to go into a certain field they should do that. I also think that the multitudes wondering what major they should focus on, or the ones that change majors, need some focus. Right now our state is booming in energy. We need geological engineers, and other workers to work in the energy field.

Business, teaching, economics, health degrees.

**NorthofAda** · 06-04-2007, 06:10 PM

I think that the more of our children that pursue higher education, in whatever field of study, the better off we all will be. I see returning to the rez after college and working off the rez in urban society equally important. The former contributes to the good of that tribe or community, the latter contributes to the perception and economy of NDN people as a whole. When mainstream society sees more of us working as teachers, healthcare workers, engineers, architects and business people, they'll be less likely to stereotype us as ______ (fill in blank of stereoptyical "ND" job).

**WocusWoman** · 06-04-2007, 06:14 PM

I have a strong beliefs too, about having your children learn a balance between both worlds. My kids practice their culture every day of the year, their indian and they'll always be indians. YET, they are indians who go to school everyday, on a full stomach and are always on their school's honor rolls. We have no shame about who we are, where we come from, and or fear about where we're headed. My kids attend mostly white schools, and a few of their Native classmates do not do very well in these schools, nor have any ambition towards higher education. They often end up dropping out or the mainly indian school here in town. I refuse to send my kids there, because I know the curriculem is watered down alot. I can see alot of kids struggling who have no daddy, sometimes no mom, have alcohol or drug use in the home, or just have no direction as far as culture goes. This world is not fair, or perfect but I think many folks try their best, especially with encouragement and positive help. I agree with the premise that often people need something to come home to. Often fear is what holds people back, and that includes the audacity to dream about a better future. That old "crab-pot" metaphor about Native people is often true unfortunately, as I witness this on a regular basis, here in Alaska. People need to think about future generations out, and not get stuck in this pitfall of thinking,"my kid cannot do any better." It is not hard to get educated and be just as successful as the white man. I always tell my kids, "don't ever let the color of your skin, your culture, or your own fear hold you back."

06-01-2007, 06:35 AM	#1 (permalink)
Blackbear Space Cowboy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Alaska Posts: 9,618	What kind of Education? I was having a discussion earlier with someone and thought maybe this would be a good one for here. Well all know that education and higher education should not only be promoted among native youth, but encouraged. But what kind of education? What do you want to see people bring home to the rez? Does everyone need a law education? A teacher's education? How about business or what fields of medicine? How about social/ human services? Engineering or chemistry? I don't mention art degrees because it's a given that if there is one stereotype that's positive of native people is that we are chock full of artistically talented people in all mediums from music and acting to fine arts and dance. And I know there are alot of people getting an arts education. There's certainly no small share of intelligence or great minds out there... so what would you encourage the youth in your community to go for? What could they bring back home that would not only benefit themselves and the community, but give them a reason to come home again? __________________ Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

06-01-2007, 02:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dat1NdnGuy Aint Dat Sumptin? Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1,028	I know huh?...I noticed that too, its like BE A DOCTOR!! BE A DOCTOR BE A DOCTOR!!!!!....and with other folks its all, Come on, time to chop wood, lets go sweat, we got longhouse this comin up, then time to head off to this powwow next weekend (or insert local/tribal ceremony of choice HERE)...Git ur homework so u'll at least pass! Whassup wit dat? its like ONE of the OTHER. __________________ "Out greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us." "Never Compromise yourself, Your all you've got" "An eye for an eye will only lead to a blind world." Last edited by Dat1NdnGuy; 06-01-2007 at 02:10 PM. Reason: Just cuz...lol.

06-02-2007, 11:24 AM	#4 (permalink)
Ndnsoldierboy PowWows.com Addicts Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Home of the Brave Posts: 11,641	Let ndns have come home with any degree...at least they have something to bring back...I think it B****** if you say an ndn shouldn't bring home a degree in art or whatever...at least they took the their time to go out and get one...why do I say this? I have a Niece who is in art school...she earned her way to be there, she had to go before a board....if you say thats B.S. oh well...get a life...she might be the next Remington or any other artist that made a difference in peoples lives. __________________ R.I.P. my Bros from the 1st MAR DIV, 3rd MAR DIV, 25th I.D., 10th MTN DIV, who gave their lives in the Cold War, Marines we lost in Korea during Team Spirit '89 & Okinawa '89- bodies never recovered, Panama, 1st Gulf War, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq... Semper Fi...

06-02-2007, 06:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
wardancer Don't be skurred ! Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: S.E. Kansas Posts: 11,261	Ahhhh , but the question at hand , as I understand it is: " What could they bring back home that would not only benefit themselves and the community, but give them a reason to come home again?" __________________ *I believe blood quantums are the governments way to breed us out of existance !* *Never wrestle with a pig....you both get dirty and the pig likes it !* Have A Stress Free Year ! The parties over...Back to work ! I'm not as good as I once was , but I'm as good once as I ever was !

06-04-2007, 03:02 PM	#11 (permalink)
wyo_rose Teenah's Too Cool Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Fort Washakie Posts: 8,019 Blog Entries: 2	It would be nice if our Business Council had BUSINESS degrees. Or any degrees at that. go figure Anyway, I think if someone has a passion to go into a certain field they should do that. I also think that the multitudes wondering what major they should focus on, or the ones that change majors, need some focus. Right now our state is booming in energy. We need geological engineers, and other workers to work in the energy field. Business, teaching, economics, health degrees. __________________ Don't take life so seriously! It's not permanent.

06-02-2007, 12:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
middle of the sky M...O...T...to the S! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: westcoast Posts: 18,935 Blog Entries: 9	ive always been a city indian..dont think id move to a rez...dont know if id like it... or maybe i would..anywhoo...i think more indians should get into business and marketing more..big business....or eco tourism...i woulda have liked to have gone into business but i think i got brainwashed earlier that it wasnt good to make money...that i shoulda picked a job that helped the people..not get ridiculuosly rich..

06-02-2007, 03:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
trob226 Senior Dancer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Where my hat is Posts: 698	We should encourage native kids to do well in whatever area they enjoy and feel fulfilled in, just like any other kid.

06-02-2007, 09:13 PM	#10 (permalink)
trob226 Senior Dancer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Where my hat is Posts: 698	I just thought of a real life example I could give. I used to work for an energy company that was actively working on locating a power plant (not nuclear) at the Four Corners. It never came to pass because of the Enron mess, but if it had, there would have been need for many different skills there - chemistry majors for fuel grading, mechanical and electrical engineers for the plant. If we could have had Dine people to fill those kinds of positions, we'd have been thrilled, and so would they. I didn't work for Enron, but Enron broke my heart in a lot of ways, this being one of them.

06-04-2007, 06:10 PM	#12 (permalink)
NorthofAda Indian Summer never ends Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Too Far North... Posts: 2,952 Blog Entries: 4	I think that the more of our children that pursue higher education, in whatever field of study, the better off we all will be. I see returning to the rez after college and working off the rez in urban society equally important. The former contributes to the good of that tribe or community, the latter contributes to the perception and economy of NDN people as a whole. When mainstream society sees more of us working as teachers, healthcare workers, engineers, architects and business people, they'll be less likely to stereotype us as ______ (fill in blank of stereoptyical "ND" job). __________________ "Unconquered, unconquerable!"

06-04-2007, 06:14 PM	#13 (permalink)
WocusWoman N8tiffUmatillaMAMA Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Interior Alaska Posts: 2,727	I have a strong beliefs too, about having your children learn a balance between both worlds. My kids practice their culture every day of the year, their indian and they'll always be indians. YET, they are indians who go to school everyday, on a full stomach and are always on their school's honor rolls. We have no shame about who we are, where we come from, and or fear about where we're headed. My kids attend mostly white schools, and a few of their Native classmates do not do very well in these schools, nor have any ambition towards higher education. They often end up dropping out or the mainly indian school here in town. I refuse to send my kids there, because I know the curriculem is watered down alot. I can see alot of kids struggling who have no daddy, sometimes no mom, have alcohol or drug use in the home, or just have no direction as far as culture goes. This world is not fair, or perfect but I think many folks try their best, especially with encouragement and positive help. I agree with the premise that often people need something to come home to. Often fear is what holds people back, and that includes the audacity to dream about a better future. That old "crab-pot" metaphor about Native people is often true unfortunately, as I witness this on a regular basis, here in Alaska. People need to think about future generations out, and not get stuck in this pitfall of thinking,"my kid cannot do any better." It is not hard to get educated and be just as successful as the white man. I always tell my kids, "don't ever let the color of your skin, your culture, or your own fear hold you back."