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##  Career and Academic Guidance for American Indian and Alaska Native              Youth. ERIC Digest.                                                          

Full of determination and courage, American Indian and Alaska                   Native (AI/AN) students strive to maintain their heritage while                 learning to be successful in the dominant culture (St. Germaine,                1995). Although academic and career success are worthy goals, AI/AN             students can bear a heavy price to achieve them. Outwardly and                  inwardly many AI/AN students face challenges to their "Indianness,"             especially in relation to their ongoing ability to use their tribal             languages; participate in religious ceremonies; take pride in                   tribal, clan, and family ancestry; and remain faithful to tribal                beliefs and value systems (Baruth & Manning, 1992; Locust, 1988;                Rodriquez,1997). 
To provide effective and responsive career and               academic guidance for AI/AN youth, teachers and counselors need to              be aware of underlying cultural values and beliefs that can affect              students' choices about academic success and pursuit of a career.               This Digest briefly describes (a) current demographics and trends in            AI/AN education, (b) cultural values and beliefs that provide a                 context for education and counseling, and (c) effective and                     responsive career and academic guidance practices for working with              AI/AN students. CURRENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRENDS IN AMERICAN                   INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE EDUCATIONThe 2000 Census revealed the                  population of American Indians and Alaska Natives to be 2.4 million             people, which represents about 0.9 percent of the total U.S.                    population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). AI/ANs are a relatively young            population, with about 34 percent under the age of 18, compared with            the total population, which has about 26 percent in this age                    category (Meyer, 2001). More than 49,000 students attend Bureau of              Indian Affairs (BIA)-operated or funded tribal schools, while nearly            400,000 (89 percent) attend public and private schools (U.S. Bureau             of Indian Affairs, 2001). About 38 percent of AI/AN students attend             rural schools (NCES, 2000).[1] 
There is some very encouraging news            about AI/AN educational participation: 
* AI/AN enrollment in                  colleges and universities grew by 67 percent between 1976 and                   1994--a remarkable increase; the number of bachelor's degrees                   awarded grew by 86 percent, and the number of associate degrees                 awarded grew by 95 percent during that same time period (Pavel, et              al., 1998). 
* The average salary in 1994 for AI/AN bachelor's                 degree recipients was slightly above the average for all recipients;            and the three most frequent fields of study were business and                   management, social sciences, and education (Pavel, et al.,                      1998). 
* In the fall of 1996, 134,000 non-Hispanic American                   Indians were enrolled in colleges and universities, up from 84,000              in 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). 
Along with the good news are              some areas of concern: 
* Only 65.6 percent of all AI/AN persons 25            years old and over have a high school diploma or higher and only 9.4            percent had a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the 1990                census (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). 
* SAT scores were below the                national average--though above scores of African Americans, Mexican             Americans, and two other Hispanic groups (National Center for                   Education Statistics, 1999). 
It is evident from these brief                   statistics that educational progress has been made in the past few              decades but challenges remain. 
NATIVE VALUES AND BELIEFS

Locust            explains,
"The belief system is the bond that holds civilizations              together, and is the small voice inside of each of us that urges us             to be true to what we have been taught. As Native people, we cannot             separate our spiritual teachings from our learning, nor can we                  separate our beliefs about who and what we are from our values and              our behaviors." (1988, p.329) 
An understanding of Native                      traditional values and beliefs that influence AI/AN students'                   behavior is key to providing them meaningful career and academic                guidance (Bearcrane, Dodd, Nelson, & Ostwald, 1990; Sanders,                    1987;Szasz, 1991). 
Giving and sharing. Tribal leaders across the              United States advise youth to go to college or technical school, get            an education and "then come back and help your people." In giving               this advice, tribal leaders are expressing the values of "giving and            sharing" that have enabled tribes to maintain group unity and                   survive. 
Giving and sharing are expressed in many different ways.             In the traditional American Indian world we are taught to share our             goods (car or truck, ceremonial items, meals, education) and good               fortune (work earnings, casino winnings) for the betterment of the              family and community. Examples include using your vehicle to take               grandma to the grocery store, or auntie to the laundromat, or                   cousin-brother to catch his ride to go firefighting (of course,                 never asking for gas money). Going away to college to get a degree              and then returning to the reservation or the city to develop or work            for programs that serve the community are also expressions of giving            and sharing that are valued and "respected." 
Giving and sharing               are the principles expressed in pow-wow giveaways, in the feast days            of New Mexico's Pueblos, and in the potlatches of the Northern                  coastal tribes. It is considered an honor to be able to give away               items that families may have worked days, months, or years                      preparing, saving for, cooking, or baking. In the AI/AN world it is             better to give than to receive. 
Counselors can support these                  values by providing financial advice as part of career counseling.              Students may need to set up saving accounts so they can contribute              necessary items when ceremonies arrive and not be stressed                      financially. Also, even for students it is important to contribute              to family and community life in a variety of ways, such as providing            car rides, using new skills to work for programs that help the                  Native community, or sharing talents by making cultural items (e.g.,            rattles, drums, moccasins, potteries). Continuing to give and share             can help an AI/AN youth to blend his/her two worlds and ultimately              succeed in both. 
Glory to the group. Another important traditional            value is "group cohesiveness" or glory to the group, not to                     individual attainment. This value is based on the core belief that              wellness is harmony in spirit, mind, and body (Locust, 1988).                   Students who are singled out for an outstanding academic                        accomplishment can experience confusion because rewarding the                   individual can jeopardize group cohesiveness. To help support this              value and reduce cultural conflict at school honors assemblies,                 teachers and counselors should consider also asking parents,                    guardians, and grandparents to standup and be recognized as each                student receives an award. This type of honoring is exhibited at                pow-wows when head dancers are honored. 
Time to observe and                   reflect. Adequate "time to observe and reflect" prior to                        participation and communication is another important value shared by            many AI/AN tribes. This value, too, is based on the core belief that            wellness is harmony in spirit, mind, and body, and is also grounded             in a world view that is circular rather than linear. Many AI/AN                 students learn to do things through observation, imitation, and                 direct experience of real-world activities. As a result students may            not be highly verbal or overtly involved in classroom or counseling             discussions. This "does not" mean they are not learning. 
Providing            opportunities to learn through hands-on cooperative experiences will            support their success. For example, a group counseling experience to            teach about careers could involve students designing and building a             model bridge. This counseling method would effectively teach the                various types of work roles involved, such as being a surveyor, an              architect, a highway safety inspector, a truck driver, a welder, a              construction worker, an environmentalist, and a geologist. These are            all examples of careers that are valuable and needed on Indian                  reservations as well as in cities. Providing career counseling that             can help students observe and reflect on the possibilities for                  employment on their respective reservations is also strongly                    endorsed and supported by tribal leaders. 
Other needed time to                reflect, much supported by tribal leaders, includes participation in            the traditional religious ceremonies that help AI/AN students to                affirm their tribal identity. It is not uncommon for an AI/AN                   student to participate in a traditional ceremony one day and attend             high school or university the next. Many ceremonies and rituals are             based on the belief of a prevailing wellness-unwellness duality that            surrounds and permeates the ceremonial functions. The primary focus             of these ceremonies is to maintain a harmonious balance between                 mind, body, and spirit of all living things (Locust, 1988).                     Religious ceremonies can sometimes take many days. Because                      participation in these ceremonies may affect an AI/AN student's                 attendance and academic work it is recommended that counselors                  assist AI/AN youth by helping them plan to (a) set up tutorial                  services if necessary and (b) communicate ahead of time with                    teachers about the reason for the absence so teachers can become                more respectful of and sensitive to cultural differences. Counselors            can also support students by understanding and affirming                        participation in religious ceremonies, even when participation poses            a risk to academic or career success, acknowledging the importance              of ceremonial life for the maintenance of wellness. PROVIDING                 EFFECTIVE AND RESPONSIVE COUNSELINGA variety of other efforts               can help teachers and counselors provide effective and responsive               career counseling: 
* encourage strong and regular involvement of              elders and tribal government leaders in the teaching and counseling             of Native students 
* provide consistent training of non-Native                teachers and counselors in the cultural values and social factors               affecting AI/AN students as they pursue their educations 
* ease               restrictions that block schools from employing valued Native                    community members who can serve as positive role models 
* increase            AI/AN students' knowledge about their options by providing a more               accurate understanding of how tribal cultures interact with the                 complex, multicultural American society 
* validate both the                   traditional and contemporary cultures of students, recognizing the              contributions that AI/ANs have made in shaping the larger                       multicultural society 
* develop and seek scholarship funds that               attach social obligations for AI/AN students to give something back             in return 
* develop long-term mentoring relationships between                 students and AI/AN professionals 
(1) This statistic was derived by            calculating the total number of AI/AN students who attended schools             designated in locale codes 6 (small town) and 7 (rural) as a percent            of the total number of AI/AN students counted on the Common Core of             Data for the 1997-98 school year. REFERENCESBaruth, L. G., &              Manning, M. L. (1992). Understanding Native American children and               adolescents. In M. L. Manning (Ed.) "Multicultural education of                 children and adolescents." Needham Heights, MA:                                 Allyn &Bacon. 
Bearcrane, J., Dodd, J. M., Nelson, J. R., &                    Ostwald, S. W. (1990). Educational characteristics of Native                    Americans. "Rural Educator," 11(3), 1-5. 
Locust, C. (1988).                   Wounding the spirit: Discrimination and traditional American Indian             belief systems. "Harvard Educational Review," 58(3),                            315-30. 
Meyer, J. (2001). "Age: 2000. Census 2000 Brief."                     Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and                      Statistics Administration. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 19,            2001, from                                                                      http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-12.pdf 
National Center            for Education Statistics. (1999). "Digest of education statistics,              1999." Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of                  Educational Research and Improvement. Retrieved October 19, 2001,               from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/digest99/d99t134.html 
National               Center for Education Statistics. (2000). "Common core of data (CCD):            School years1993-94 through 1997-98 (CD-ROM)." Washington, DC: U.S.             Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and                     Improvement. 
Pavel, D. M., Skinner, R. R., Farris, E., Cahalan,               M., Tippeconnic, J., & Stein, W. (1998). "American Indians and                  Alaska Natives in postsecondary education." Technical Report. NCES              98-291. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National                  Center for Education Statistics. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service            No. ED 424 081) 
Rodriquez, R. (1997). Learning to live a warrior's            life. "Black Issues in Higher Education," 14, 38-40. 
Sanders,                 D. (1987). Cultural conflicts: An important factor in academic                  failures of American Indian students. "Journal of Multicultural                 Counseling and Development," 18(15), 81-89. 
St. Germaine,                     R. (1995). "Drop-out rates among American Indian and Alaska Native              students: Beyond cultural discontinuity." ERIC Digest. Charleston,              WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. (ERIC              Document Reproduction Service No. ED 388 492) 
Szasz, M. C. (1991).            Current conditions in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.            In "Indian Nations At Risk [Task Force Commissioned Papers]."                   Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. (ERIC Document                    Reproduction Service No. ED 343 755) 
U.S. Bureau of Indian                    Affairs. (2001). "2001 fingertip facts." Washington, DC: Author,                Office of Indian Education Programs. Retrieved October 19, 2001,                from http://www.oiep.bia.edu/finger/2001%20fingertipfacts.pdf 
U.S.            Census Bureau. (2001). "Profiles of general demographic                         characteristics: 2000 census of population and housing, United                  States." Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and             Statistics Administration. Retrieved October 19, 2001, from                     http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/dp1/2khus.pdf 
U.S. Census                  Bureau. (2000). "Census Bureau facts for features: American Indian              heritage month: November 2000." Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau,             Public Information Office. Retrieved October 19, 2001, from                     http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00ff13.html 
U.S.               Census Bureau. (2000). "Statistical abstract of the United States:              2000 (population section)." Washington, DC: U.S. Department of                  Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration. Retrieved October            19,2001, from                                                                   http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/statab/sec01.pdf 
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Charmaine L. Shutiva, Ph.D., is the teacher/coordinator for the               Creativity Abounds Program (the gifted and talented program) at                 Isleta Elementary School at Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico. 
This                   publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational            Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under                   contract no. ED-99-CO-0027. The opinions expressed herein do not                necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI, the                      Department, or AEL.                                                          **Title:** Career and Academic Guidance for American Indian and Alaska Native              Youth. ERIC Digest.                                                          **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC/CRESS, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348. For full text:            http://www.ael.org/eric/digests/edorc01-3.htm.                               **Descriptors:** Alaska Natives,  American Indian Culture, American Indian Education,            American Indians, Career Guidance,  Cultural Awareness, Elementary              Secondary Education, School Community Relationship,  School                     Counseling,  School Guidance, Student School Relationship, Well Being        **Identifiers:**  American Indian Students, Cultural Sensitivity,  Cultural Values,              ERIC Digests                                                                 
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