The Development Of American Indian Education

As an important part of modern education system,education of national minority has its own form and pattern.The development of education of them has great impact on improving the quality of national minority,economic prosperity,ethnic harmony and deepening the educational theories and promoting education development around the nation.American Indian is the original inhabitants in American continent and native in US,they have long history of education,and the education history of them is an important component in American history.Though American education is flourishing and American education experienced popularization earlier than other countries,yet education has problem of inequality,especially the education between nationalities is not equal.American Indian only take 1%in total population and they are economically backward and discriminated.Influenced by wrong education values,inappropriate education policies and insufficient education funds,Indian education suffer serious restriction.So Indian education develops far behind the European Americans,Asian yellows and even African Americans.The weakness in education and social life reflects their real situation.In the late 20th century,America issued education policy of self-determination for Indian,so Indian get self-determination in education,and their education level improved.At the same time,more and more scholars pay attention to Indian education,especially from the aspects of politics,economics and culture in Indian reservation,and scholars get some achievements.We can learn the Indian education from those research,and these research can give examples to other minority education development.Unfortunately,these research only do some case study,and describe the education current situation,but not from the history aspects.It leaves us imaginary space.This dissertation studies the Indian education from the history aspect and the research subject is changing policies characteristics of education in the federal level.Though the research,we can know the reason of education development.The development of Indian education can be divided into five stages:traditional education of Indian;debate of education between Whites and Indian;education set by Whites;education set by Indian;multicultural education for Indian.In the development of Indian education,Indian and Whites experienced collision,conflict and integration in education,culture and values.In this process,Indian got the right of self-government in education.This dissertation uses methods of literature,historical analysis and comparison to reveal the law of education development,summarize the experience.What's more,other nationalities can get lessons from the experience.This dissertation can be divided into five chapters:Chapter ?,education freedom:education of Indian in primitive period(?-1606).This chapter studies the traditional education of Indian.Before the Whites arriving America,Indian transferred knowledge according to their own idea and method.They transferred their native language,history,religion,culture and values to clansman through stories,oral history,religious ceremonies and studying of living skills.Chapter ?,education collision:Indian education in colonial period(1607-1775).This chapter discusses the education of Indian in colonial period.As soon as the Whites arrived America,the tradition education of Indian was destroyed.Two cultures collide seriously.They show different ideas in education which reflected self-government in education.In this period,school education appeared in America.School education can reflect Indian culture and requirement of education self-government through aims,methods and teaching contents.Chapter ?,education control:Indian education in the discourse of Whites(1776-1933).This chapter studies the Indian education after the founding of USA.Federal government tried to transplant educational mode of Whites to Indian in order to eliminate the lifestyle and values of Indian.Education of Indian changed with the government policies.Indian education experienced civilization,segregation and forced assimilation.Assimilation is the theme in this period.Chapter ?,education self-government:Indian education controlled by themselves(1928-1990).Indian education experienced new deal period,regressive assimilation period and self-government period.Though the process was tough,the result was satisfied.Indian realized the self-government in education after hundreds of collision in culture and education.This is the trends of Indian education.Chapter ?,education integration:diversified education of Indian(1991-nowadays).This chapter discusses the trends of Indian education.Since the 21th century,Indian education shows uniqueness,that is to say,Indian set their own education mode and structure according to their culture and practical demand of modern education.Nowadays,Indian education based by their own traditional culture should be synchronous with international education and take in advanced education theories to promote their education.Along with the deepening of research,Indian education expose a lot of problems.These problems contain not only education,but also politics,economic and culture.In the most developed America society,Indian cannot be proud of being American.Though government set The Indian Education Act,there are a lot of problems in Indian education.We should get reflection from Indian education:Firstly,Indian education is a social problem in American.Indian education is the problem of education of vulnerable groups in social transformation.Secondly,Indian education is a part of American education.Indian education cannot be accepted by mainstream because of their social status,so the deconstruction and reconstitution of education is passive.Thirdly,Indian education develops with the background of globalization.In the modern world,Indian education should take up the difference in culture and deindustrialization.Indian should conform to the modem society,and make their education develop.Fourthly,we can get enlightenments from Indian education.We should take the educational inequality seriously in global view,then we can understand the essence of education in country or region.