ABSTRACT
In this volume we draw upon the insights of Native American educators to offer practical, evidence-based, culturally sensitive practices for narrowing the achievement gap for Native Americans in the U.S. and paying the educational debt for the way they have been mistreated and underserved. These practices include storytelling, both personal and cultural, in the oral tradition and through digital narratives and talking circles. These practices may be in science, technology, math, history, geography, art, music—every aspect of education both in and out of school. But they all include the importance of respect for culture, acknowledgement of Native traditions and cultures, and the importance of family and extended family/tribal involvement in education. Acknowledgment of the importance of learning and teaching others of the cultural histories of Indigenous peoples is strongly woven through these chapters. The authors highlight the importance of relationships, and this principle underlies both education and policy, as they describe collaborations and relationships within and among legal, educational, and tribal bodies. The organization of the volume provides a schema for assisting educators in drawing upon these culturally sensitive practices both in implementing them and in gathering evidence of their effectiveness in the classrooms, schools, and communities in which they educate Native Americans.
