U.S. Department of Education Secretary Duncan invited and spoke with 15 young Native Americans at a Student Voices Session as part of the School Environment Listening Tour

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Duncan invited and spoke with 15 young Native Americans at a Student Voices Session as part of the School Environment Listening Tour

At this event students were able to voice their need for cultural and personal supports within American schools. Students were able to explain how when their schools don't respect their cultures through things like having a mascot that is a chieftain, a yearbook titled a derogatory term for Native Americans, or having teachers and classmates who dressed up as Native Americans for Halloween it only creates harmful images of themselves and their community within the school. This leads to many students with native background losing interest in school or dropping out. Students were able to give their recommendations to Secretary Duncan on how to help our schools be more welcoming and accurate to Native Americans- those who are students and curriculum around their past and culture

U.S. Department of Education

The Obama White House website

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/02/18/young-native-americans-share-school-culture-experiences-secretary-duncan

Valuing the Voices of the Native American Youth in the Context of a School Environment

February 18, 2015

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English

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