ABSTRACT
Many Indians feel that the assimilation objectives of American education are detrimental to the social, economic, and political wellbeing of their communities. These concerns prompted the National Dialogue Project on American Indian Education. Acknowledgments The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the College Board's Educational EQuality Project (EQ), and National Dialogue Project staff thank everyone involved with the National Dialogue Project on American Indian Education. Dialogue participants agreed that schools must begin to integrate Indian culture into the Basic Academic Competencies as well as subject-matter areas and to develop appropriate bilingual/bicultural course offerings. Indian parents and community leaders must work cooperatively with local educators by sharing their knowledge of tribal culture, philosophy, and history. Fine arts, including the visual and performing arts, are an integral part of Indian life. This means that educators must develop expressive classes in art, music, dance, and drama that focus on historical and contemporary Indian culture.
