- Racism:
- Sub-oppression
- Oppression
- economic disparities
- misuse of federal dollars,
- cultural leaders being ignored
- Resources:
- Money
- Getting help (financial and other) that is available at the global level accessible at the local level (for example, knowing what is out there; knowing how to bring resources to the local community)
- Lack of Role Models
- Lack of exposure to STEM during K-12 years
- Lack of infrastructural support: Child care, jobs
- Academic Issues:
- Students don’t know how to apply to academic programs.
- Lack of access to computers or not understanding how to apply on line keeps students out of academic programs and internships
- Paperwork of application process is intimidating
- Don’t understand what a bio is
- Application processes are often too expensive
- Students don’t understand financial aid process
- Students are intimidated by the essay that is often required on applications
- Don’t know about scholarships
- Criteria keep students out: GPA, Tribal membership
- Lack of excellent geoscience teachers/instructors in the local community.
- Lack of recognition of students as a potential source of STEM students
- Mathematics aren’t taught in a way that works for native students (more beneficial when taught visually or hands-on)
- Mathematics are taught too abstractly; more applications would help
- Math example: school failing 50% of students in Math
- Math is a gatekeeping class
- Problem: Math by mathematicians
- Teaching styles vs Native learning styles
- Fragmented curriculum, scheduling, and standards
- Lack of individualized instruction: all people are taught in the same way but some people have different learning styles
- Students aren’t academically ready for college when they come out of high school.
- Science classes are boring—they could be made more interesting if they were more relevant to the students (good example of relevance is sustainability program at College of Menominee Nation)
- Students aren’t aware of possibilities and opportunities
- Lack of confidence in quantitative science
- Fragmentation of curriculum and lack of connection between disciplines (due to testing requirements)
- Middle school doesn’t have earth science (or not enough)
- Students’ stereotypes of math and science: they are not smart enough; have to be super-intelligent to go into a science field; these careers are dry and boring, no creative side, need to break these myths
- Difficulties if students need to move:
- Children who need care
- Don’t feel comfortable in the city
- Difficulty in transferring from tribal college to other institution
- Hard to be away from home
- Hard to find a place that feels comfortable
- Knowing that there are other Native students where you are going is important
- AISES group is really helpful
- Sometimes leaving the community for education is not an option because of ceremonial reasons
- It’s hard to participate in internships if you have a family
- Length of time of internships can also be a problem—it would help if sometimes you could split up the internship into shorter blocks of time or allow students to return home for ceremonies
Attitudes within Native community about science
- There is the (false) notion that what you are learning has nothing to do with your people (this is not specific to Native American students)
- Lack of connection to the tribe
- Students don’t have an idea what comes after college—what will they do with a geoscience degree?
- Lack of community support
- Education may be viewed as assimilation into white culture
- Students struggle to get a degree and then it may be hard to come back into the community
- Conflicting messages about what education means
- Pushback from elders/parents
- Challenge: feeling used; guilt of leaving family