My academic interests include indigenous studies, cultural anthropology, and environmental science. The Dartmouth courses that shaped these academic interests were: Indian Country Today taught by visiting Professor Bernard Perley, Climate Change taught by Professor Albert, and Latino Roots and Transitions with visiting Professor Almita Miranda. I took Indian Country Today my freshman fall. In this class, we discussed current events occurring in Indian Country. That term was especially eventful as the No DAPL protest were happening across the country and the presidential election occurred. After I took this class, I knew I wanted to be a Native American Studies major. In the class we had philosophical discussions about resilience and epistemology …show more content…
Throughout high school, I tutored elementary school students at the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Community Center near my high school. I helped students with their reading assignments twice a week. I really liked this job because the students were fun to work with and I felt like I was doing important work as I saw their reading levels improve over time. This was an experience that made me have an interest in working specifically in Native American communities. Even though this group of students was a different tribe than me, I felt connected to them as we had a similar background of being indigenous peoples. Another experience I has working with indigenous students was in the summer of 2016, when I worked as a program assistant for the University of California Irvine American Indian Summer Institute of Earth System Science (AISIESS). This job was incredibly fulfilling. Over the summer, AISIESS had forty indigenous students complete a research project regarding their home community. My job as a college mentor was to work individually with five students concerning their project, organize one on one meetings with students regarding their plans for higher education, and serve as a residential assistant. This job taught me how to both academically as well as emotionally support students. Learning how to emotionally support someone younger from me came in handy as a member of the Dartmouth SIBS program. Dartmouth SIBS program matches Dartmouth students with a younger student from the Hanover area. My student is in elementary school and when I’m on campus we meet twice a week. As her sibling, I plan activities for us to complete throughout the year. My sibling has developmental disabilities and I’ve learned how to be a much more patient, flexible, and gentle person. I truly enjoy spending time with my sib and we’ve made great memories. While I’m campus, I also work with Professor Mary Albert in an
The collaborating individual chosen for this case study is Eva Pollinger-Middleton, a twenty-three year old undergraduate student in the College of Education at the University of North Florida. Eva is majoring in Secondary English Education and is currently in her junior year. Eva is ethnically Lumbee, which is a Native American tribe native to the north Florida Area. Although Lumbee is not a federally-recognized distinct tribe, Eva is highly invested in furthering her culture’s recognition in educational settings, including both increasing Lumbee presence in curriculum relating to Native American studies for students in the general education program and in furthering educational opportunities for students who are Lumbee. Eva is
The course, Chicano Studies 50, introduced me to many topics that I never was taught in high school. The differences between high school and college is that in college students are available to many courses and recourses to further develop their knowledge in their culture. Professor Montoya teaches his students in a deeper concept of how Chicanos ideals were developed in comparison to my previous course Chicano Studies 10. The course showed the class brief experiences of farmworker’s struggles and to movements Mexican-Americans decided to accomplish to provided better life for those who were undocumented and for them as well. Culture was introduced in a small description, but like Professor Montoya expressed “… would be impossible with a subject
Indigenous students in schools have made it clear as to what they want and need from the education system. Knowledge of Indigenous humanity and diversity, the history of colonialism, local history and contemporary culture, indigenous knowledge, languages and worldviews are topic in which they want to become evident in school system that are able to help with their health and wellness. There has been and there are continuing attempts to reform First Nations education funding. Aboriginal children and adults continue to face these unsuccessful attempts which continue to horrify Canadians.
My first experience that involved contribution to a community was in an organization known as girls as pearls. In this organization we participated in many volunteer activities, both domestic and global such as making dresses for girls in africa or volunteering at the samaritan ministry. Consequently, this early volunteerism experience influenced my involvement in the community as a high school student. I became involved in organizations such as key club, an organization focused in volunteerism. Additionally, I began to tutor middle school students and volunteering at the local church. Many of the volunteer activities that I have participate in involved children and this due to the reason that I want to be able to become a positive guide and role model for children. I want to contribute to their motivation of continuing their education and to reach for goals that they believe they can achieve. As a hispanic american I have been provided the opportunity of experiencing life from two different viewpoints which has provided me with various life lessons that aided in my development in becoming a successful and well- rounded
Morgan, H. (2009). What every teacher needs to know to teach Native American students. Multicultural Education, 16(4), 10-12.
Building the skills and qualifications of Indigenous Australians is critical and many programs have a training component for staff in addition to building education and employment pathways for Indigenous people. Recognise and build on the strengths of Indigenous culture, community and family. Encompassing the physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual needs of the community as a
My first exposure to Anthropology was an introductory course at Snow College. My professor was an Anthropologist/Sociologist and I loved his class. There was so much involved that appealed to me about history, and I loved learning about new cultures and people around the world. There is so much diversity out in the world, and I want to learn all about the different cultures, beliefs, people, and traditions. He loved it and passed on the love of anthropology to me through his lessons.
I was also in Algulitos, a program where high school students teach younger students Spanish. I led a classroom of second graders every Friday while integrating fun and learning. I was very excited to be involved in this program because it was an opportunity to be a successful role model for younger children. I developed many friendships ...
Being in a school that brought students from various counties and cities with different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives, opened my eyes to seeing just how diverse humanity is. In a time when everyone is struggling with personal problems, I know how monumental a simple volunteer act can be. One of my favorite acts of service is tutoring. I tutored an elementary-aged girl for two years in Fort Lee and I will always remember those two years as the most fulfilling. Education is so precious, and children are the most open to it. Not only was I able to teach her math and reading comprehension skills, but how to carry herself as a smart and extraordinarily capable young lady. In return, she taught me patience and how sometimes you just need to approach a problem differently to see the
I have participated in several volunteer opportunities as a Girl Scout, singing Christmas carols at a local hospital, picking up trash along the beach, working at a homeless shelter, leading events for younger Girl Scouts and much more. These opportunities have influenced me to become aware of the struggles within my
Native American Studies departments, according to Jon Reyhner, “are critical to providing a positive university environment for Native students…(NAS) help keep Indian students in school by providing them with a university home”(Reyhner 106). I don’t believe that American Indian Studies programs will keep Indian students in college. I believe, the desire of wanting to achieve and excel in academics for what it has to offer, will keep Indian college students in college. I believe that Jon Reyhner gives excellent points in defining the reasons for Indian students dropping out of college, but I have to disagree about his ideals on keeping them in. It seems Reyhner feels that Indian Studies Programs will give Indian students a place to show their truest identity, in turn giving them enough comfort to strive through and finish a college degree. Native college and university students, just as any other student in higher education, have distinct backgrounds and different ways of thinking. Although many Indian people come from similar histories of assimilation, cultural disappearance, slaughter, and sacrifice, the adaptability of an Indian person within college depends upon their perspective, attitude, and envolvment, in such environments. I wish American Indian Studies departments in colleges and universities could keep Indian Students from quitting, but the reality of the matter is that Indian people have little to relate to in the college world.
When I first came into this class, introduction to indigenous studies, I was uncertain of what to expect but really interested. Part taking in my major towards history and noticed this class I immediately pounced on it as I was quite interested and very pleased. I have been paying attention to many circumstances going on with the indigenous people, their land and culture over the past few years. As even into the first day of class it opened my eyes to a whole new way of life, situations and much much more that indigenous people have went through and are still going through taking my perception much more in-depth, and I cant belief how astonished I am already only six weeks into the course.
Also, how other cultures have had a phenomenal impact on how I view everyday situations and how I draw conclusions, whether it’s about an ethnic group, my own and others or about hot topics in the news. Before this class I did not realize cultural relativism. I really was ethnocentric because I never took the time to evaluate other people’s cultures independently of my own. While I think it is normal for people to judge their peers, coworkers, etc. based on their experiences I also feel it would be beneficial for all of us to take the time to try and understand the sociological point of view of others that are not familiar to us or view things very different from us. The tools I have learned in this class seems to have made me a better listener and emphasizer because I have caught myself listening to people just to hear them and not just to respond. The change in my outlook about being intertwined in society has improved my communication skills at work and at
By integrating different levels of capabilities into learning, it gives Indigenous students a chance to begin where they are comfortable at, giving them the confidence they need to progress onto further levels of work. Positive impacts to Indigenous education outcomes are greatly affected by the ‘8 ways of Indigenous learning’ framework which interconnects pedagogies, creating a further degree of understanding (8 ways of learning, 2012). This strategy is not only benefiting the Indigenous students in the classroom, but can also cater to diverse learning needs of non-Indigenous students. It will also increase the feeling of inclusion for Indigenous students as everyone can participate in their cultural ways of learning, expanding their connectedness to the school, therefore, desire to succeed (Devlin,
I spent most of my time in a first grade classroom. In this classroom I observed the children as well as the teacher and paraprofessional. This classroom had children with special needs and that is why there was a paraprofessional in the classroom for half the day. What I observed in this classroom was how children with special need should be handle and taught. The teachers in this room loves her job and each student in her class. While in the classroom the teacher allowed me to help with children with their work, read to them and help them with anything else that they needed. During this field experience I got to give back to not only a school, but to a community that is very near and dear to my heart. I hope that I touched each student in a special way, because the students that I got the opportunity to help learn touched my