Released this week, “Creating Visibility and Healthy Learning Environments for Native Americans in Higher Education” describes a dismal reality for indigenous students seeking higher education and outlines corrective steps that institutions of higher learning can take.
The report stems from the Indigenous Higher Education Equity Initiative, a two-day August meeting in Denver hosted by the American Indian College Fund. The event convened leaders from Colorado State University, tribal and mainstream colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, foundations, institutes, associations and Native college students to craft a plan to increase visibility and promote college access and success for Native Americans.
Foster Cournoyer Hogan
The initiative dovetailed with the Reclaiming Native Truth project last year by the First Nations Development Institute and Echo Hawk Consulting that explored public perceptions about indigenous peoples. It found that in spite of more than 1,000 tribes with five million members and growing, Native Americans are misunderstood and misrepresented at best and invisible at worst.
“Invisibility is in essence the modern form of racism used against Native Americans,” the report states. “It is this invisibility that leads to a college access and completion crisis among Native American students. When a student is invisible, his or her academic and social needs are not met. This leads to students feeling alienated and alone, derailing their matriculation and the realization of their dreams and potential.”
Being essentially erased, the report continued, “also prevents many young Native people from even thinking college is a possibility; others entertain the idea but are stopped from enroll in college because of negative experiences with admissions processes or on college campuses.”
