Preparing Teachers of American Indian and Alaska Native Students

Too often in the past, Indian education ignored the “Indian voice” and designed to teach Indian children to be discontented with their traditional values. Even today, teacher certification requirements give little if any attention to these values as they relate to cultural approaches to learning. This article argues that there is research-based knowledge that teachers of American Indian and Alaska Native students should know that is usually not provided in teacher preparation programs. We suggest research from both Native and non-Native sources about which all Indian educators should be aware, with the hope that teacher preparation programs will lead to more opportunities for Indian children to live in and contribute to both their local and their global communities in ways that honor the wisdom of their cultural values.