Tips on Teaching Native Americans

This page was written by Erin Klauk as part of the DLESE Community Services Project: Integrating Research in Education.

Despite the fact that most Native cultures have a deep cultural bond with Earth and awareness of its processes, Earth science expertise in Native communities is low, according to Riggs and Semken ([Riggs and Semken, 2001] ). Native Americans as an under-represented group are of particular concern for Earth and environmental science educators because of the large land base managed by tribal authorities coupled with the simultaneous lack of professional scientific expertise within reservation communities themselves ([Riggs and Marsh, 1998] ) ([Riggs and Semken, 2001] ). Finding ways to raise the expertise of Native Americans in the Earth sciences will result in more scientific and intellectual diversity for the geoscience community, as well as security and scientific autonomy for the Native peoples of North America ([Riggs and Semken, 2001] ).

The Digital Library of Indigenous Science Resources (DLISR) is a library collection of online text, video, audio, and image files of Indigenous science. Included are both knowledge about the natural world and ways of teaching and learning about it.

Investigate Geoscience Education Among Indigenous Peoples

Resources related to geoscience education among indigenous peoples.

Tribal College Journal Resources About Educating Native American Students

Resources containing information about educating Native American students.

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