2007-17: Recognize and Support Tribal Nations Certification Processes as Highly Qualified to Teach Native Languages, Cultures, and Histories

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1969 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special education needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA as the largest national Indian organization of American Indians, 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 the unique relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, residing on and off their reserved or non—-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, federal policy fully supports specialized teacher certification for Native American language, history and culture instruction, c.f. Native American Languages Act P.L. 101—-477; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order 13336 (April 30, 2004), American Indian and Alaska Native Education provides: “This Administration is committed to continuing to work with these federally recognized tribal governments on a government—-to—-government basis, and support tribal sovereignty and self—- determination. It is the purpose of this order to assist American Indian and Alaska Native students in meeting challenging academic standards of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P>107—-110) in a manner that is consistent with tribal relations, languages, and culture”; and

WHEREAS, sovereign Tribal governments retain the sole expertise in the trainind of teachers in Tribal languages, cultures and histories and are the sole parties to judge the quality of those teachers;and

WHEREAS, Tribal certification of teachers in the areas of Tribal languages, cultures and histories shall be recognized by both the State and the Federal governments as meeting the requirements to teach these subjects in the classroom.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Indian Education Association does hereby call on the States and the Federal government to collaborate, government—-to—-government, with Tribal sovereign governments in regard to certification of teachers in the areas of Tribal languages, culture, and history; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NIEA calls on State and Federal Departments of Education, Congress, and the President of the United States to revise federal and state policy to recognize and support the Sovereign Tribal nations certification processes as highly qualified to teach thelanguages, culture, and histories specified by the Tribe; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that this resolution shall be the policy of NIEA until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.