DECOLONIZATION OF THE MIND A STRATEGY TO IMPROVE NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

For American Indians, education was the weapon of mass destruction. It obliterated their Indigenous identities, destroyed their families, culture, and traditional ways of life. The history of violence and genocide inflicted upon America’s Indigenous peoples have continued to cause adverse psychological and physical effects. Native American students are underachieving and have the lowest graduation rates of all racial ethnic groups. The central research question for this qualitative study is how does intergenerational historical trauma impact the educational journeys of Puyallup tribal members? The goal of this study was to provide insights into the impact of intergenerational historical trauma upon eight Puyallup tribal elders and to discover possible relationships with their educational journeys and life choices. This study utilized the research strategy of phenomenological oral history. The use of this approach is culturally compatible and thus would be considered honorable within our culture. The findings indicated that three of the elders who received educational encouragement during their life were the only ones who studied beyond high school. The three who did not receive encouragement dropped out of high school. Two elders spent their careers working in Indian Education and they suggested what elements should comprise a tribal school staff development training program focused on teaching about the importance of culture and the intergenerational effect of historical trauma upon our students, families, elders, and ancestors. The goal of their suggested tribal school staff training is to provide staff members with the tools they will need to create a positive and nurturing educational environment that honors and emphasizes our traditional ways, so our students will develop positive attitudes about learning while strengthening their Indigenous identities leading to greater personal success and academic achievement.