DOCUMENT RESUME ED 034 625 RC 003 886 Indian Education: A `rational Tragedy--A National Challenge. 1969 Report of the Committee on Labor and Public tlelfare, United States Senate, Made by Its Special Subcommittee on Indian Education. INSTITUTION Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, Washington, D.C. FFPOPm NO F-91-c01 PUB DAME 69 NOmF 230. EDPS PPICE EDPS Price ?1F-T1.00 HC-$11.60 DESCRIPTORS Administrative Problems, *American Indians, Case Studies (Education), Educational Background, *Educational Feeds, *Educational Policy, *Federal Legislation, Federal programs, *Investigations, School Conditions ABSTRACT Senate '3esolution 165, 90th Congress, authorized an investigation into the education of Indian children. Subsequent resolutions extended the investigation, the results of which are synthesized in this report. Historical discussion of national policy toward the American Indian, the effects of Federal legislation, and the failures of Federal schools are presented. Public school findings included the lack of Indian participation or control; coursework which rarely recognized Indian history, culture, or language; and anti-Indian attitudes on the part of school administrators and teachers. Federal schools were found to be grossly underfinanced, deficient in academic performance, unsatisfactory in Quality and effectiveness of instruction, seriously deficient in guidance and counseling programs, and characterized by a rigid and impersonal environment. Sixty recommendations were made in the areas of national Policy and goals, administration of Indian education, the future of Federal schools, and the Federal role in relation to non-Federal schools. Statistical tables are presented in an appendix.(JH) U.S. DEPARTMENT Of HEALTH,EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE Of EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVEDFROM THE CPERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATINGIT. POINTS Of VIEW OR OPINIONS -STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE Of EDUCATION -POSITION OR POLICY. .14 IN I.."'" 91ST CONG tREPORT 1st Session E. R C. s ATE No. 91-501 c\J riN CO INDIAN EDUCATION: A NATIONAL TRAGEDY A NATIONAL CHALLENGE 1969 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE UNITED STATES SENATE MADE BY ITS SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDIAN EDUCATION PURSUANT TO S. Res. 80 (91st .Gong., 1st Sess.) (TOGETHER WITH SUPPLEMENTAL VIEWS) A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROBLEMS OF EDUCATION FOR AMERICAN INDIANS NOVEMBER 3, 1969.Ordered to be printed Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of November3, 1969 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 31-169 WASHINGTON : 1969 I. c COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE RALPH YARBOROUGH, Texas, Chairman JENNINGS RANDOLPH, West Virginia JACOB K. JAVITS, New York HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, JR., New JerseyWINSTON L. PROUTY, Vermont CLAIBORNE PELL, Rhode Island PETER H. DOMINICK, Colorado EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts GEORGE MURPHY, California GAYLORD NELSON, Wisconsin RICHARD S. SCHWEIKER, Pennsylvania WALTER F. MONDALE, Minnesota WILLIAM B. SAXBE, Ohio THOMAS F. EAGLETON, Missviri RALPH T. SMITH; Illinois ALAN CRANSTON, California HAROLD E. HUGHES, Iowa ROBERT 0. HARRIS, Staff Director Joss S. Foasxxsa, Genera Connect Rox H. MILLENSON, Minority Staff Director EUGENE MITTELMAN, Minority COUS8Si SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDIAN EDUCATION EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Chairman RALPH YARBOROUGH, Texas PETER H. DOMINICK, Colorado HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, JR., New Jersey GEORGE MURPHY. California WALTER F. MONDALE, Minnesota WILLIAM B. SAXBE. Ohio HAROLD E. HUGHES, Iowa RALPH T. SMITH, Illinois 2 ADRIAN L. PARMETIER, Staff Director 1 Appointed to committee September 1S, 1969, vice Senator Bellmon. 2 Appointed to subcommittee September 29, vice Senator Bellmon. CONTENTS Page Table of Contents * III Dedication viz Foreword Ix ) Summary xi * INTRODUCTION A. Background 1 1. Genesis of the subcommittee 1 2. Rationale for subcommittee investigation 3 3. Investigative procedure 3 B. Fact sheet 4 I 1. Authorizing resolutions 4 2. Subcommittee chairmen 5 3. Public hearings 5 4. Field investigations and research reports 5 5. Federal boarding,school evaluations 5 6. Subcommittee publications 6 7. Consultants 6 PART I A NATIONAL TRAGEDY: SUBCOMMITTEE FINDINGS I. The failure of national policy 9 A. Overview 9 B. Historical perspectiveFour Hundred Years of Failur' 10 1. Mission period 10 2. Treaty period 11 3. Allotment period 12 4. The Meriam Report and the New Deal 12 5. Termination period 13 6. The 1960's 13 C. Alcoholism and Mental Health 17 i D. Cherokee educationPast and present: Acase study 19 E. A summary of historical findings it 21 II. The failure of public schools 22 A. General analysis 22 B. Federal legislation 31 1. Public Law 815 32 I 2. Public Law 874 33 3. The funding problem 34 4. Johnson-O'Malley Act 38 C. The transfer policy 47 1. Analysis 47 2. The MesquakiesA case study 48 D. A summary of public school findings 52 L IV Page III. The failure of Federal schools 55 A. Background 55 B. General analysis .... 56 1. Education budget analysis 56 2. Academic performance 59 3. Goals and operational philosophy 60 4. Quality of instruction 62 5. Guidance and counseling 64 6. Discipline-Student life_ 64 7. Parental participation and community control_ 65 8. Organization and administration 65 , 9. Personnel system 66 C. Special problems 67 %.; 1. Elementary boarding schools s 67 * 2. Off-reservation boarding schools 71 D. Special programs 80 . 1. Vocational education 80 2. Higher education 83 3. Adult education 88 E. Recent attempts at innovation 90 1. Elementary and Secondary Education Act 92 2. The kindergarten program-A case study 95 ti F. A summary of findings 99 PART II A NATIONAL CHALLENGE-SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS I. Policy and goals A. National policy-Recommendation 1.. 105 B. National goals-Recommendations 2 and 3 106 C. General recommendations 107 1. White House Conference-Recommendation 4 107 2. Senate select committee-Recommendation 5 108 3. Indian Education Act-Recommendation 6 110 4. Indian education funding-Recommendation 7 111 5. Defintion, elimination, and education of nutrition problems-Recommendation 8 112 6. Indian civil rights-Recommendation 9 113 7. Termination-Recommendation 10 113 8. Comprehensive attack on alcoholism-Recommenda- tion 11 114 9. National Council on Indian Opportunity-Recom- mendation 12 115 10. Bilingualeducation(titleVII,ESEA)-Recom- mendation 13 115 11. Culturally sensitive curriculum materials-Recom- mendation 14 116 II. Administration of Indian education 117 A. General recommendations 117 1. BIA Commissioner upgraded to Assistant Secretary status and BIA transfer to new Assistant Secretary jurisdiction - Recommendation 15 117 2. National Indian Board of Indian Education-Recom- mendation 16 118 3. Indian boards of education be established at local level-Recommendation 17 119 4. Indian parental and community involvement-Rec- ommendation 18 119 5. Assistant Commissioner of Educationat-Superin- tendent of Federal Schools-Recommendation 19.._ 120 6. Coordination of Department of Health, Educatioi., and Welfare and the Department of Interior with the National Council on Indian Opportunity- Recommendation 20 120 V Page III. The role and future of Federal schools 121 A. An exemplary school systemRecommendation 21 121 B. Special problems 123 1. ElementaryboardingschoolsRecommendations 22-25 123 C. Special Programs 1. Vocational educationRecommendation 26 124 2. Higher educationRecommendations 27-39 124-128 3. Adult educationRecommendation 40 129 D. Innovation and research and developmentRecommenda- tions 41-43 129 IV. Federal role and non-Federal schools 131 A. Public Law 81-874-1lecommendations 44 and 45 131 B. Public Law 81-815Recommendations 46 and 47 131-132 C. Johnson-O'Malley ActRecommendations 48 through 54_132-134 D. Transfer of responsibilityRecommendations 55 through 57134-135 V. Other matters 135 A. General recommendationsRecommendations 58 through 60 135-136 APPENDIXES Appendix I: The Failure of National Policy: An HistoricalAnalysis 139 Appendix II: Statistical tables 209 Appendix HI: Acknowledgments 217 Supplemental views 218 2 DEDICATION This report is dedicated to the memory of its first chairman, Senator Robert F. Kennedya man who cared deeply and spoke out. Brave Heart (By John Belindo, Executive Director, National Congress of American Indians) This Brave Heart Light surrounded by Brown Faces,so sad to be themselves. We have seen him staring at primitive landscape, broken treaties and broken hearts. The Brown Children have sung: garbled chords of muted war-like music from tiny buffalo robes, "We are no longer little hops from the hogans and pueblos, we are no longer little pinion hulls in a bowl." The sun where nothing lives, pours life into the silence of the trees. A cedar sprouts nearby growing in warm felicity and grace. Brave Heart with his eyes disclosed all the secrets of his art astonishing the elders Rising on the battlefield against his own native Stars and Stripes, pitifully lean, crying out at the American conscience against Sand Creek and boarding schools. It is enchanting to hear the warrior sing : "We will never leave the sand hills, forests, the valleys, we will never leave the grass, high summits and high winds, we will joy in the reflection of the sunlight from the white snow." Brave Heart often quoted a famous man : "Men are not made for safe havens." Nor were they always found amid the luxuries of civilization. We have heard Brave Heart live loyalty and bravery. A young Irish warrior rooted in the same soil which nourished Crazy Horse,