The Schooling system and education of Native Americans

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Školstvo i obrazovanje američkih Indijanaca
• Author: Ela Capek
• Mentor: Lovorka Zergollern-Miletić (mentor)
• Committee member: Marija Andraka (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ivana Cindrić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Lovorka Zergollern-Miletić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2018-05-22, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Pedagogy

Abstract

The purpose of this final thesis is to present the problems that Native American society has been dealing with. The goal was to examine historical events after the Europeans’ arrival on American land that caused depopulation of Native Americans and their forced assimilation to European values, the consequences of which are still felt today. Valid sources confirm the fact that Native Americans were affected with the loss of their cultural identities through the process of assimilation to the mainstream culture. Government officials took the initiative to open boarding schools that led to dominant society’s aspirations to impose its values and to change the Native American ways of life. Native American children were separated from their families to attend boarding schools in which they were often physically and psychologically abused and punished for ‘practising’ their culture and beliefs. Consequences of assimilation have been felt in their future generations that have been dealing with poverty, psychological problems, inability to form healthy relationships and express their own identity, higher rates of drug and alcohol addictions, as well as cultural confusion. Collected data reveal the problem of a growing number of students who lose their interests in school because of an unadjusted curriculum. Native American children are still misunderstood because they are raised differently than most of the children within the mainstream culture. Within their own culture, they are encouraged to follow their pace by being actively involved in their learning experience through observation, not following certain instructions and taking responsibility for their decisions. Integrating Native American values into the curriculum is possible but it requires an initiation of teacher trainings so that teachers could apply adequate teaching methods to support cultural disparities to adjust to minorities. It is necessary to make educational goals compatible with Native American students’ cultural identity to get positive outcomes and to provide positive experience in school for them.

Abstract (croatian)

Svrha je ovoga rada prepoznati probleme s kojima se suočava društvo Američkih Indijanaca. Cilj je približiti se povijesnim događajima od dolaska Europljana na kontinent Amerike koji su rezultirali depopulacijom Američkih Indijanaca te procesom njihove prilagodbe usustavljenim Europskim vrijednostima na novome kontinentu, čije su posljedice osjetne još i danas. Zaključci koji proizlaze iz određenih izvora ne osporavaju činjenicu da su prilikom prisilne prilagodbe Američki Indijanci bili suočeni s gubitkom svoga kulturnog identiteta. Na inicijativu vladinih službenika formirane su škole-internati što je dovelo do potpune izmjene načina života kroz nametanje vrijednosti dominantne kulture. Indijanska djeca prisilno su bila odvojena od svojih obitelji kako bi pohađala škole-internate u kojima su često bila psihički i fizički zlostavljana te kažnjavana zbog prakticiranja vlastitih vjerovanja i kulture. Sve prilagodbe i nametnute vrijednosti ostavile su osjetan trag u kasnijem društvu Američkih Indijanaca koje se suočava s posljedicama kao što su siromaštvo, psihološki problemi, nemogućnost formiranja zdravih veza i prijateljstava, povećan broj ovisnosti o alkoholu ili drogama, osjećaj nepripadnosti i nemogućnosti izražavanja vlastitog identiteta. Prikupljeni podaci ukazuju na problem povećanog broja učenika u društvu Američkih Indijanaca koji gube interes za školstvo i obrazovanje zbog neusuglašenosti školskog sustava s njihovom kulturom. Američki Indijanci često su još uvijek neshvaćeni u društvu jer se njihov odgoj razlikuje od tradicionalnog američkog. Unutar vlastite kulture, u odgoju su prepušteni sami sebi na način da uče opažanjem i aktivnim sudjelovanjem u procesu učenja, prateći svoj tempo uz preuzimanje pune odgovornosti za vlastite postupke. U radu se zaključuje da mogućnosti prilagodbe kurikuluma Indijanskim vrijednostima postoje, ali uz puno uloženog truda uz nezaobilazno uključivanje članova zajednice i edukacije učitelja o uvođenju adekvatnih metoda poučavanja u nastavu koje podržavaju kulturne različitosti i prilagođavaju se manjinama. Za pozitivne ishode i pozitivna iskustva Američkih Indijanaca u školi potrebno je usuglasiti obrazovne ciljeve s njihovim kulturnim identitetom.

• Keywords: assimilation; cultural values; Native American education; cultural identity; academic identity
• Keywords (croatian): prilagodba; kulturne vrijednosti; školstvo Američkih Indijanaca; kulturni identitet; obrazovni identitet
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:595950
• Study programme: Title: Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study of Primary Teacher Education and Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Programme of Study for Primary Teacher Education with English and German Language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Access restricted to students and staff of home institution
• Created on: 2019-03-21 08:42:59