Establish a Formal Relationship between NIEA and World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1969 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 Indians, Alaska Native, 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, the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium, WINHEC, was launched with the signing of the Declaration of Indigenous People’s Higher Education by the members of the old Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE) 4-10 August 2002. The founding state/country members present were Australia, the states of Hawaii and Alaska and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium of the United States, Canada, the Wananaga of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Saamiland (North Norway); and

WHEREAS, we gather as Indigenous Peoples and share a vision of Indigenous People of the world united in the collective synergy of self-determination through control of higher education, and are committed to building partnerships that restore and retian indigenous spirituality, cultures and languages, homelands, social systems, economic systems and self-determination; and

WHEREAS, WINHEC provides an international forum and support for Indigenous Peoples to pursue common goals through higher education

  1.  Accelerate the articulation of Indigenous epistemology (ways of knowing, education, philosophy, and research);

  2. Protect and enhance Indigenous spiritual beliefs, culture and languages through higher education;

  3. Advance the social, economical, and political status of Indigenous Peoples that contribute to the well-being of indigenous communities through higher education;

  4. Create an accreditation body for indigenous education initiatives and systems that identify common criteria, practices and principles by which Indigenous People live;

  5. Recognize the significance of Indigenous education;

  6. Create a global network for sharing knowledge through exchange forums and state of the art technology; and

  7. Recognize the education rights of Indigenous Peoples

WHEREAS, WINHEC has established relationships with the Native Hawaiian Education Council, and the American Indian Education Consortium, First Nations Higher Education Consortium, Alaskan Native Higher Education Consortium.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Indian Education Association establish a formal relationship with the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Association, WINHEC, to support indigenous peoples to pursue common goals through higher education. Submitted by Dr. Verlie Ann Malina-Wright, Native Hawaiian

CERTIFICATION

I do hereby certify that the forgoing resolution was duly considered and passed by the NIEA Board of Directors at its October 28-31, 2004 meeting in Phoenix, Arizona at which a quorum was present.

Steven Peters