Introduction

This chapter explores the historical record to ascertain what transpired in Native American higher education from its colonial beginnings to the present day. Three of the original nine U. S. colleges founded during the American colonial period embraced the education of the indigenous Native American population as central to their purposes. A fourth, the College of New Jersey (Princeton) did not formally name Indian education as a stated purpose, but did admit a few Indian students during the same period. Some summary descriptive statistics can reveal how dismal the colonial record is regarding Indian higher education. Prior to the American Revolution, these three institutions professed to be devoted to providing higher education to Native Americans for a combined total of 240 academic years. Native Americans remain in a catch-up position regarding higher education at the present time. Today, Native Americans are served by thirty-two traditionally Native American colleges.