Tribal College and University Research Journal — Volume 1, Issue 2 Danielle Lansing
I learned that you can work with families to establish partnerships, use community members such as elders and high school students to be role models for the children. I also learned different teaching methods that were being implemented to revitalize Native language and culture. (Leslie, course reflection, 2014) For Leslie, and other students, the course was often the first time they had heard about early childhood programs and tribal communities implementing initiatives focused on infusion of Native language and culture into curriculum. Students learned that community partnerships often served as the foundation for these programs. This provided tangible real-life examples they could gain insight from. Students could see commonalities with their own communities and therefore began to see future possibilities for themselves and their communities. Throughout the course, students became directly involved in SIPI’s funded initiative. This included co-curricular experiences that placed students in leadership roles within SIPI’s community. Students helped facilitate community-based projects and learning experiences at SIPI. They were able to gain firsthand knowledge of the positive impact on the community. As SIPI’s funded project exemplified reconnecting the urban AI/AN community with tribal ways of knowing, students also began to see the value of looking towards Native teachings and history. Caroline, a student in the course, reflects on the importance of Native teachings and notions of nation-building: For myself, and becoming a teacher, I will teach our 7th generation about the importance of our history. I think it starts there first. Then I will help people understand leadership in a traditional sense and still continue to be knowledgeable of our outside world (our education). Native nation building is an ideal concept that unites students, communities, policy makers, and our history. That’s why I want to make sure our younger generation understands
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