2009-11: Support for Indigenous Language and Culture Assessment and Research

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1970 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA as the largest national Indian organization of American Indian, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Native people; and

WHEREAS, through its’ unique relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, all Native American children shall receive equal opportunities from the federal government based upon the unique indigenous status, language, and cultural history,

WHEREAS, in 1990, Congress passed the Native American Languages Act (NALA) which established a unique federal policy relative to use in publicly supported education of the Native American languages spoken in this country before 1942; and

WHEREAS, many Native American communities and tribes had systems of education in the Native languages and where literacy rates were high; and

WHEREAS, national funding for research on Native American language and culture based education has been extremely limited or even non-existent; and

WHEREAS, research that partners practitioners in Native American language immersion education from preschool through grade 12, indigenous researchers and institutions of higher learning and research can inform teacher instruction and student learning in schools where the Native American language and indigenous ways of learning is the medium of instruction; and

WHEREAS, instruments of assessment in the Native American language must be developed; and

WHEREAS, grants for enhanced assessments are limited to state educational agencies.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Indian Education Association will support the expansion of Title VI for Enhanced Assessment Instruments or other areas applicable in the reauthorization of ESEA to include contracts to such research partnerships in the development of assessment instruments in a Native American language.