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"One thing that really discourages me is that when you try and put forth an accurate and honest depiction from your perspective, people just seem to have these stereotypes. I mean, people wouldn't ask African Americans about cotton fields but yet they seem to feel comfortable asking me if I feel somehow 'in-tune' with nature. You know, a couple of experiences like that stops you quickly from trying to assert yourself."
Native American students at UNC come from a variety of Native American tribes. As important as unity is to any minority community on campus, the divisions due to tribal affiliations are not negligible among Native Americans. Students from each tribe have their own cultural heritage of which they are proud: they may have their own language and customs, and their own history. But Native American students have also often inherited traditional rivalries with the other tribes represented on campus. The most significant division in North Carolina is between the Lumbees and Cherokee, and it is important for teachers to be sensitive to students' expressed tribal affiliation.
Unlike African Americans or Asian Americans, Native Americans are not always easy to distinguish physically from other racial groups. They may look African American or White to people who are not aware of their racial identity. This misperception of their racial identity is a very sensitive issue with members of the Native American community on campus. If they are proud of their culture, they are in the position of always having to explain themselves anew when they meet new people. It is a particularly sensitive issue for the Lumbees because there have been numerous historic challenges to their existence as a true Native American nation. Both White and other Native American students may exclude the Lumbees from their own heritage simply by not believing that they are really Native Americans. Students who do not fit the stereotypes about Native Americans are made to feel that they do not belong to any group, and especially not to the one they wish most strongly to belong.
A source of irritation to these students is the preponderance of archaic perceptions about Native Americans as a group, coupled with ignorance of their history and culture. Native American students at UNC often feel that they must assert the existence and legitimacy of their heritage in the classroom because it is rarely mentioned there. Especially in humanities and the social sciences courses, students complain that class discussions and course materials typically omit Native American perspectives and contributions, and thus seem to shut the Native American students out.
Native American students are usually highly community oriented and may face tremendous pressures to fulfill expectations that they return and contribute to their communities. Many of these students come from economically depressed areas where opportunities for good jobs are not plentiful. As a result, some students may experience difficulties when they try to reconcile personal goals of obtaining a good job with the very strong expectations of their community that they return home to work despite modest employment prospects. This particularly developed sense of community also causes many Native American students to return home more often on weekends than other ethnic groups. The time spent traveling between campus and home reduces the amount of time Native Americans can spend studying.
In addition to problems of racial identity, Native Americans also encounter other acute problems that may affect performance in the classroom. For example, although students may have financial assistance from the university, they may be unable to meet the stipulated family contribution required for receiving government aid. As a result, many of these students must work to earn the money their families could not provide. Obviously, the more hours a student works off campus, the fewer hours she or he will be able to devote to studying. Financial obligations often increase the already heavy pressure to perform well academically. In fact, the extra obligation of spending extra time away from studies in order to help finance their education has led a majority of Native American students to drop out after the second year due to financial difficulties. (UNC Office for Student Counseling, 1991, p. 20)
Just like any other "minority,"
Native American students feel more comfortable in a classroom where they feel
personally welcomed. One way to make Native Americans more comfortable is to
encourage students to get to know each other, both during and after class. Allow
students to introduce themselves early in the semester. Since there is still
some debate about terminology among Native Americans themselves, students may
want to use this opportunity to let others in class know whether they prefer
to call themselves Native American or American Indian. Giving students time
to introduce themselves will also give them a chance to talk about their particular
nation. This is one way for students to identify themselves in a non-threatening
manner while simultaneously making the professor and students aware that there
is a Native American presence in the class. Finally, whenever possible,
include Native American contributions to a field in your syllabus. This will
also make your students feel as if there is a place for them in your class.
Quotes from interviews with Native
Americans on campus
"One of the biggest problems is that it seems that teachers tend to think that Native Americans are something in the history books. They tend to think that Native Americans are a dead culture. There are a lot of times that that makes you feel out of place, left out. They tend to want to make you believe that your culture is no longer alive."
"I think a lot of instructors on this campus feel like your [Native American] culture only mattered when Columbus got lost and discovered America. That's a very discouraging atmosphere and it turns off a lot of good relations with teachers. I mean, you're not going to approach a teacher about problems you're having in class if they have a condescending attitude."
"One thing that bothers me is that in American culture and history courses, very little attention is paid to the Native American presence. I mean, how can you talk about America and not discuss Native Americans except in an historical context that seems to end with the migration westward?"
"What bothers me is that in certain cultural survey type courses, if you look at the reading list, there's never any material about or by Native Americans."
"It gets really discouraging on campus when everything is a Black or White issue. The only two perspectives are Black and White and you never get to discuss your perspective. I took a course where the racial composition of the class pretty much reflected the racial composition of the world. I was the only Native American and when I would raise my hand to offer my perspective, the TA would cut me off or the other students would be disinterested in what I had to say. I think the TA should have encouraged a more open discussion in the classroom. I kept trying to bring the TA back to it, but I can't do this by myself. "
"I remember going in to see a professor and they were talking to me as if I were an African American student. I've had that happen a lot of times, especially with TAs. I've gone in to talk about a paper. I've had some general questions about what perspective a paper should take and a lot of them have told me, 'Well, you can always take the African American perspective.' I mean, I make it a point at the beginning of the semester to introduce myself as a Native American student and still when I talk to the instructor they suggest I write from an African American perspective."
"Sometimes it's hard for us to relate to other people because it's a different value system. Native Americans tend to be very community oriented. I'd say that most of us here at college tend to think about how we can get a job and go back and help our community. We're concerned about going back either to our native tribe or Native American community in general. That tends to run counter to a lot of people's ideology who tend to wonder about getting that six-figure salary."
"A lot of tribes in North Carolina are pushing for federal recognition. With that movement, we've sort of followed some of the roles of the tribes out west in asserting their original treaty rites that were overlooked. As such, they [the tribes] are referring to themselves as 'nations.' "
"I think it's on your mind a lot that you're a Native American student and that you have to 'carry that torch.' You feel like you have to perform in order to dispel any stereotypes people may have about you. But I see a lot of students where that could go the other way and students could get tired of that burden on their shoulder."
"I took a course once and was offended that the professor didn't consider North Carolina Lumbees to be a 'true' Native American tribe."
"People think that Indians are extinct. That after the Trail of Tears, Native Americans just disappeared."
"People tend to have this perception that Native Americans have a particular look. That we should have high cheekbones, long flowing black hair. You know, stereotypes of what a Native American should look like. People don't take you seriously if you don't 'look' like what they think you should."
"The biggest problem I've had with my looks is that non-Indians refuse to accept me the way I am."
"This university calls itself the 'flagship university' for the state. North Carolina should be the flagship for Native American issues on this side of the Mississippi. Come on, it's a leader in so many other issues that it's a shame that it isn't on Native American concerns. The culture is there. North Carolina has the seventh largest Indian population in the nation and the largest east of the Mississippi."
"I think that instructors need to look at book lists. They need to be culturally balanced. How can you study certain topics and not study Native American issues?"
"You hear a lot of groans from instructors who say, 'I can't be an expert in Native American history.' We're not asking for that. We're asking for a basic amount of respect. I think that instructors need to be straightforward and ask questions if they don't know something. They should approach students one-on-one rather than singling them out in class."
"If professors know that there are Native American students in the class and are unfamiliar about some things, I would prefer if they came to me and asked questions. That would be fine. I'd rather they ask questions- if not to improve the class immediately then at least for later reference. I think that would help to make us more in-tune with that course. I also think that if a professor asked a question and the student didn't know, that would still make them feel better knowing that the instructor put forth an effort."
"I have a class where there's a lot of interaction and we sometimes do mock interviews about the types of job we would like to have when we finish. My TA for the course knows that I'm a Native American and she'll ask pointed questions during the interview that makes me think about my culture and how my activities might benefit my community."
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Last Updated: January 30, 2001