Native American College Dropout -- The Problem, Solution and Plan of Action

Several years ago an elder told me that the best way to solve a problem is to determine the exact nature of that problem, identify the solution, and establish a plan of action that systematically moves you from the problem, to the solution. Understanding the problem is the most important part of solving it. Trying to solve a misunderstood problem is futile and often times could make the problem worse. For instance, when we go to the doctor for a certain health issue, the doctor does not jump directly to a solution. It is important to clearly understand the problem as the solution is ultimately dependent on knowing exactly what the problem is.

This problem solving technique seems to work as long as the problem is diagnosed correctly. As an example, if you went to the doctor suffering from the Flu and your doctor indicated that s/he thought your problem was sever constipation, although the plan of action might provide some bowel relief, the doctor’s diagnosis is wrong – the solution will be wrong – and the plan of action will be wrong, and you will continue suffering from the original problem.

The final important point my elder friend wanted to express is that once the problem and solution are settled, the plan of action most be followed and completed. Let’s say your doctor did get your problem correct and determined that you have the Flu. S/he would explain the solution, followed by laying out a specific plan of action. If you left the doctor’s office and followed that plan, which might consist of taking a prescribed medicine, drinking plenty of fluids, resting, etc., you would be on the road to recovery. It seems most folks, once they begin to feel better, slack off on following the plan. For example, if you have ever suffered from an infection, the medication plan requires that every pill be taken, if not, the infection could return stronger and even harder to treat. It is vital that the plan of action that solves the problem is followed all the way through.

THE PROBLEM

Self-identified Native American students throughout the State University of New York (SUNY) system on average, have the highest college dropout rate compared to any other student group within that system. SUNY has done a very good job with collecting student data over the years. I requested student information and was provided data spanning from 1984 through 2007. Below are some results from those 23 years for students entering SUNY beginning in 1984.

Student Dropout percentage from lowest to highest:

Asian-Pacific Islander:                          35%

White:                                                  37%

Unknown:                                             44%

Hispanic:                                              50%

International:                                         51%

Black:                                                   53%

American Indian/Alaskan Native:          57%

The data sheet can be reviewed HERE. Not only do Native American students drop out of college at very high rates, they make up the fewest amount of students on SUNY campuses. From 1984 until 2007 a total of 503 self-identified Natives enrolled in a SUNY program. In those same years or so, about 216 Native Americans graduated (43%).

The exact nature of the problem is – a significant number of Native American students who enter a SUNY program drop out before obtaining a degree.

THE SOLUTION

Establish a collaborative, community-based bridge from high school to college and when a Native American enrolls in a SUNY program, encircle a variety of support systems around him/her. 

There are a few simple things that can be done to greatly increase the likelihood that Native American students who enroll in college will complete. With the help from community leaders and SUNY academic representatives the Native American Center for Wellness Research (NACWR) intends to move forward with a plan of action that will solve this problem.

PLAN OF ACTION

1. Study Abroad Program

A study abroad program (SAP) is being developed by NACWR. I have discussed the benefits of students experiencing a SAP in an earlier post so I won’t go into depth again. However, I would like to restate a scientific-based conclusion -- students who complete a SAP and are considered high-risk for dropout, remain in school and complete. SAP’s change student’s lives for the better and makes them stronger students and community members.

I will be traveling to Ireland next month and meeting with a professor at Galway University to set up a four-week, six credit earning program. In that earlier post I reported that NACWR was applying for a UB grant that would support the development of a SAP. That grant was not awarded.

2.  100 Haudenosaunee SUNY Degrees by 2020    

NACWR is currently working on a grant to support an initiative called 100 Haudenosaunee SUNY Degrees by 2020. Part of this initiative will be to coordinate the first annual Haudenosaunee Educational Summit held in May of 2012. The main purpose of the project is to gather SUNY and Haudenosaunee representatives in order to discuss and design a long-term structure that will smoothly and strategically guide Haudenosaunee youths into SUNY colleges, resulting in 100 degrees completed by 2020. The first summit will be held on the University at Buffalo, SUNY campus. Representatives from the Western and Central SUNY systems will be invited to participate. These representatives will include admissions, affirmative action and diversity, educational opportunity, student recruitment, and any other interested worker. Haudenosaunee representatives will also be invited. For instance, Chiefs, Clan Mothers, elected leaders, educational representatives, community leaders, and parents will be asked to participate. This proposed project will establish a university-community partnership that will pave the way for our community’s most underrepresented student population to enter, remain, and complete a SUNY college degree. The Haudenosaunee Educational Summit will be an annual event for folks to gather in order to ensure that the bridge from high school to college is clear and sound for our youths to travel.  During the summit, targeted, yearly outcomes will be set, measured and adjusted.  

3. Increase Donations to Wolf-Fire Scholarship

Finally, I am vigorously working on raising funds for the Wolf-Fire Scholarship. These donations will be used to support SUNY students carry out their work in Native American/First Nations communities. There is very good scholarly work being done by students who need a little financial assistance. These funds will also be used to help Native American students study abroad. Although regular tuition will pay for much of the program, additional funds are needed in order to pay for any “out of pocket” costs for students. Additionally, these funds will support the annual Haudenosaunee Educational Summit being developed. It must be stated that I have no clue how to best raise funds. What I hope to accomplish is to engage folks and create opportunities for them to fulfill their own personal purposes.

The solution and plan of action can not solely depend on SUNY grant money. Although NACWR will continue to target and apply for grants, we must not allow our work to be judged and determined by the measures of others!  

Concluding Thoughts

If a motivated community comes together around an agreed upon problem, solution, and plan of action, our Native American youths will be significantly benefited. I will be the first to admit that I take for granted the idea behind our responsibility for the next Seven Generations. These proposals are a great opportunity to act on this Principle and positively impact our next leaders.

If you are in a position to support these proposals, I strongly encourage you join us. It will take much work and commitment on our part to solve this problem. I think I heard someone say something like – If not you, who? If not now, when? I have had the honor to work with many people who are committed to being the generation that will not ignore the problems of the next. Please consider joining us.

If you would like to financially help support our plan of action below is a link to the Wolf-Fire Scholarship. It is very simple and safe and best of all tax free. Thank you very much.
https://ubfoundation.buffalo.edu/giving/v4/index.php?&custom=0372

Peace, DAP

Breaking Biased News: A Native American Owned Business Has a “Staggering” Advantage Over Other Businesses -- UPDATED

After reading an article in the Buffalo News paper about casino gaming and the on-going fight between the Citizens for a Better Buffalo and the Seneca Nation of Indians, it occurred to me that until there is an honest and logical debate, these fights will continue and the Buffalo News will continue printing stories that are not helpful with bringing people together and solving this area’s primary problems.

It seems there are three distinct groups in this community when it applies to the topic of Native American owned casinos.

Group 1 – Those who totally oppose Native American Gaming.

Group 2 – Those who totally support Native American Gaming.

Group 3 – Those who do not like the idea of Native American’s supporting its communities with gaming, but value the rights they have to do so and without it, their communities would be less self-sustainable.

Groups 1 & 2 have easy solutions to their problem. Group 3’s issues are much more complicated and require a larger effort of problem solving. I will consider myself a Group 3 member. For those who have the sole agenda of denying Native America’s the right to own a legal, successful business, which supports its community, can expect to be opposed by Groups 2 & 3. If those folks in Group 1 want to achieve their overall mission, join Group 3 and begin working towards a long-term solution of Native American sovereignty and self-determination. However, if your Group 1 goal is to destroy a legal Native American business by any means necessary, similar to the dishonorable acts that where recently printed in the Buffalo News paper, expect a larger group of opponents. 

I won’t or can’t document the entire historical aspects of all the disagreements. However, I will state a few plain facts. It appears the Seneca Nation is operating a business that is successful and legal. Citizens for a Better Buffalo have spent a lot of time and money trying to stop the Seneca’s business from operating.

Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel

A very important fact to remember is that the Seneca business is a legal operation. The Seneca’s have played by the rules. Not their own made up rules, but rules forced on any business in Buffalo.

The News Story  

The Buffalo News recently published a story about how Citizens for a Better Buffalo have gained allies on Buffalo’s City Council in trying to shut down the Seneca’s business. That story is sprinkled with comments that should scare some folks and cause readers to negatively view a Native American business. I can understand how they were able to gain supporters on Buffalo’s City Council using these tactics. Here are a few of those comments:

“…expanded casino will prove a ‘huge money-sucking vacuum’ in a city already struggling with high poverty.”

“What we rarely hear about is the devastating negative economic impact that research shows occurs when a tax-exempt casino is placed in what is claimed to be sovereign land within an urban setting.”

“Seneca casinos in Western New York gave away $42 million in ‘loss leaders’ over a nine-month period.”

“They give away more rooms per night than the Hyatt and the Adam's Mark combined,” “…No one can compete.”

“That pales in comparison to the social costs of gambling…”

“They have created a culture in this community of gambling as a way of life…which I think is destructive.”

 “…because Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino is located in a poor neighborhood of a poor city, its presence will only exacerbate poverty.”

“The explosive growth of gambling in New York State and Western New York in particular, is disastrous for people with low incomes.”

“A large percentage of gambling revenue comes from problem gamblers, and many problem gamblers are people with low incomes.”

“These damn dirty Indians will soon be just as prosperous as the rest of us -- dating our daughters and trying to change our great way of life.”

Sorry, that last quote was mine. I thought I would just sum up how I view the main notion behind the other quotes!

Most of these comments are supported by a “report” conducted by Niagara University professor Steven H. Siegel. According to the Buffalo News paper, Mr. Siegel is “contending that city leaders should be wary of plans to expand the downtown casino even on a smaller scale than originally envisioned. He contends that the Senecas effectively enjoy a 15 percent price advantage over non-Indian competitors in the hospitality industry. He called the advantage staggering.”

Staggering!

Mr. Siegel’s Niagara University bio:

Following 10 years working in various operational and management positions within the hospitality industry, Professor Siegel is now completing his 31st year on the faculty of the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Niagara University. His teaching interests focus upon the areas of strategic management, finance, and analytical methods as applied to the industry. His research interests explore the competitive advantages that Indian run casinos, with hotels and food and beverage outlets, located on sovereign Indian land, have over local hospitality establishments.

A couple of very important points that must be addressed:

1. The reliability and validity of Mr. Siegel’s study;

2. Staggering, unfair advantage. 

#1 Point

I contacted Mr. Siegel and asked for his report and/or study that this entire article is based on. I would like to learn more about the study’s research design and methods. He has not yet replied to my request. Mr. Siegel has a master degree in business administration. This is a very good degree for someone who wants to master the skills associated with working in a business. It is not a degree to have if someone wants to conduct scientific research. If you are interested in conducting scientific research, a PhD is best.

Now… please know, someone could be a good business administrator with a PhD and someone could do good research with a master degree in business. However, the educational training and skill development would not match up. For instance, I have a couple of college degrees. I’ve watched, on many occasions, our dog groomer, groom our dogs. I thought to myself, “I can do this job and save some money.” As part of my expanded dog grooming training I watched several step-by-step YouTube videos on how to groom dogs. Afterwards, I went to the local pet store and spend about $120 on a do-it-yourself dog grooming kit. That kit came with an instructional video that I watched as well. After all this preparation, I felt highly trained, educated, and confident I could successfully groom our dogs. Update: I have a lightly used dog grooming kit for sale, if anyone is interested.

Mr. Siegel is a teacher, and after 31 years probably a good one. However, it is my opinion that his education and training have not appropriately prepared him to be a scientific researcher. Also, I have been unable to find any peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts or discovered any funded scientific works by Mr. Siegel related to his research. Peer-reviewed research manuscripts and/or obtaining federal research funds best indicate that the research plan has been at least minimally scrutinized. (And a little, gentle advice for Mr. Siegel, please consider editing your bio by removing the word – Indian. Please consider using American Indian or Native American).

Let’s look specifically at the report’s stated outcomes. Basically, Mr. Siegel reports that Native Americans have a staggering advantage over non-Native American businesses. Other hospitality businesses can’t compete, he says. Hotels can’t fill rooms, sports bars lose customers, HSBC arena loses money, movie theaters lose money, etc. So this leads me to the second conflicting aspect of this argument.

#2 Point

First, the fairness issue? The Seneca business is operating by the law of the land, rules that every business operates. It’s not like the Seneca created these laws. So, the “unfair” label is, well…an unfair, unwarranted description.

But the main conflict in the article’s position is that the Seneca business destroys communities that are already dilapidated, neglected, and poverty burdened and that only poor people enter the Seneca business. I do not understand the association between the Seneca business hurting poor people and its advantages over other local businesses, happening concurrently.

Are Mr. Siegel and Citizens for a Better Buffalo saying that very poor people were spending their money on other hospitality businesses around Buffalo prior to the arrival of the Seneca business? Were all the poor people in Buffalo spending their weekends at the Hyatt and the Adam's Mark hotel? Were the people from the “poor neighborhood of a poor city” using their limited money going to movies, eating out at the upscale downtown Buffalo restaurants and going to hockey games at HSBC arena?  

If the Seneca business only attracts low income people, how do they have a “staggering” advantage over other hospitality businesses? Were the low income people spending all of their money on other entertainment/hospitality businesses before the Seneca’s arrived, and now that they have arrived, these folks avoid all other businesses except the Seneca’s business?

Please allow me to remind you of some of the article’s comments:

“The explosive growth of gambling in New York State and Western New York in particular, is disastrous for people with low incomes.”

“A large percentage of gambling revenue comes from problem gamblers, and many problem gamblers are people with low incomes.”

“They give away more rooms per night than the Hyatt and the Adam's Mark combined,” “…No one can compete.”

Article’s Logical Conclusion

I am confused how the Seneca business hurts low income people, its only customers, while disadvantaging other businesses unless low income people were spending their money elsewhere on entertainment/hospitality activities.

Let’s have an honest, logic debate about how to best improve the lives of people who live around Buffalo. Let’s also have an honest, logical debate about how Native Americans can best sustain their right of sovereignty and operate a legal business. This entire article’s argument is not logical, reliable or valid. An unbiased scientific researcher might have dealt with these illogical issues. Unbiased Citizens for a Better Buffalo should address their concerns honestly and logically. Finally, An unbiased Buffalo City Council should not base their decisions on a biased, unscientific report. All groups should find a way to join together in a common cause of increasing the health and wellness of all people in our communities.

Peace, DAP

UPDATE: I have contacted the writers of the Buffalo News story asking them to comment. Below is their response.

I have also contacted Steven Siegel and Bruce Jackson with the Citizens for a Better Buffalo offering an opportunity to respond.

From The Buffalo News:

Dr. Patterson:

Thank you for sending along your blog. You should consider condensing
your thoughts and submitting them as a letter to the editor or a
submission to our MY View column.

I must say, however, that I find no basis for your view that the story
was biased. The group issued a report, brought it to the Council, and we
wrote about it. No more, no less.

But I am sure your thoughts would be very welcome.

Bob McCarthy

Greetings, Dr. Patterson.
Thanks for your note.
I'm the city government reporter at The News. My main contribution to this article focused on some Common Council members' concerns that an agreement between the city and Seneca Gaming was being breached. My involvement with this story had little to do with the study, which is the main focus of your blog.
Thanks for taking the time to reach out to me. I appreciate it.
Brian Meyer

Please Don’t Allow Your Current and Past Life to Destroy Your Future Life

“Having a Purpose in Life Gives All Other Things Purpose”

Unknown

A few years back, maybe 20 or so now, I overheard a conversation that has stayed with me ever since. I was waiting in line for a morning coffee and two men, one older and the other my age at that time, where chatting in front of me. I didn’t catch the beginning of their conversation, nor was I around to get the ending. However, I did pick up on an assertion coming from the older gentleman. He said, “When you find your purpose in life – it gives all other things purpose.”

When I first overheard this, I thought about that conversation and what must have lead to such a strange statement. Until then and even after, I have not heard those same words or concept from anyone else. That man’s decree swirled around in my head for several hours, turning into days and then weeks. I’m not sure, but I think the reason that man’s proclamation was so impacting on me, was that, at that time in my life, I had been living in a homeless/treatment facility for over a year.

I’m not sure about anyone else who has lived in a homeless program, but for me, I continuously wondered about my purpose in life. Was my purpose, like so many other men in that building, to be a long-term homeless man traveling between shelters ending up with my name in the newspaper seeking the next nearest living relative? That really wasn’t my overall ambition at the time because I was attending a local community college. Boy, those two worlds as very far apart. My days would be spent on a college campus full of fear trying to assimilate as a typical college student, followed by concerns about making curfew back at the facility.

I used to think, “If that old man is correct, then this could not be my purpose. And if it is not my purpose, what purpose would finally give purpose to all this? If that old man was right about finding your purpose in life gives all other things purpose – what the heck kind of purpose awaits me after living in this place for two years?” This is why that man’s statement so altered me. I could not come up with a scenario that would provide a later life purpose for living in a homeless program.

It was very hard to imagine that someday I would look back on this time and state, “Oh…so that’s why my life was this way and I lived in this program.” Believe me when I say this, having to smell the pungent stench coming out of my roommate’s shoes is not a design for a purpose driven life. Those shoes were already foul and abandoned, for all the right reasons, when he found them.

Well, as it turns out, that older man’s statement 20 years ago has merit. It seems, finding a purpose, places all past experiences as indispensable and very much needed in order to have arrived to this present day. 

A life that has finally found purpose, would not want to change one single day of that past life. All of those past days were required in order to find this current day’s purposeful life. A life that has purpose is so overwhelmingly grateful to have found this purpose, any thoughts of altering the past is quickly retracted as those alterations would have risked not having found this purpose (Note: I had to re-read that past sentence a few times to make sure I understood what I just said).

Regardless where anyone is currently, when someone finds their purpose in life – it gives all other things purpose. Folks don’t have to believe that statement and I’m sure there are many that don’t/won’t. What I hope, is that folks who have not found their purpose, believes that there is a purpose for every life.

The path on the way to that purpose, regardless of where it is or begins, is the exact route needed to get there.  If you do believe this and think you will never find a purpose, relax, you are right where you are supposed to be. Enjoy the journey. 

Peace, DAP

Data are limited

NOTE: This post is offered up by Amy Manning. Amy is a doctoral candidate at UB’s School of Social Work. Amy’s research focus is on prevention, specifically focusing on child and adolescent mental health issues.

The month of February is the National Heart Association Go Red for Women Day. Go Red For Women movement celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke.

Being a Native woman, I thought it would be appropriate to spend some time looking at what the research says about cardiovascular health for Native American women. So I spent a little time searching the internet as well as the University Library looking for specific data.  After several searches and many reviews, the reoccurring phrase common in most of these studies as it relates to the Native American population is “data are limited.” Many of the studies published seem to exclude Native Americans from their analysis due to limited numbers of participants.  They were also combined them with other groups, thereby limiting the interpretability of the results.

What was frustrating, as a doctoral student researching health issues and trying to publish manuscripts, was reading through and finding that in most cases, excluding and lumping Native Americans into dissimilar groups was not even mentioned as a limitation of the study. Often times the authors praised themselves for having a heterogeneous sample, when in fact much was missing. I feel that we must do more as researchers and as Native Americans to ensure greater participation in research that could improve the health and welfare of our families and communities.  Imagine if your physician was unaware of the prevalence rates of heart disease among Native Americans because of the current literature? Unfortunately, that isn’t hard to imagine. The movement in healthcare now is to use evidence-based practices. This means medical providers look at the science and evidence of a particular problem and allow that research to guide the best intervention. If medical professionals were to seek the best practices for treating heart disease for Native Americans, they would discover what I just did – Native American’s are excluded or placed into another category resulting in the professional having no evidence to guide practice.

           

General Heart Data

From the American Heart Association I learned that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Twenty-five percent of all deaths among Native American women are caused by heart disease and stroke. Among all Native Americans, 12% have heart disease, 8% have coronary heart disease, 25% have hypertension, and 5% have had a stroke. The rate of coronary heart disease, and hypertension are elevated when compared to the white population, however, the percent of Native Americans who have had a stroke is more than DOUBLE compared to the white population.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease must be monitored and wellness interventions initiated if we are ever going to take control of these silent killers. Almost 50% of Native Americans have 2 or more risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

How could this be possible? The risk factors that are now known to contribute to heart disease include high cholesterol, tobacco use, inactivity, overweight and diabetes. Among the Native American population over 40% use tobacco, including 30% of Native American women.  About 30% of Native Americans have high cholesterol compared to 17% of the general population. Over 50% of Native American adults also report no physical activity, as in zero activity. Currently, only 21% of our young women in grades 9-12 meet basic physical activity guidelines. Physical inactivity is one thing that can lead to an individual being overweight, and as a group Native Americans are the most likely to be overweight out of any group, with 30.4% of adults being overweight. Almost 16% of the Native American population (male and female) have a diagnosed case of Diabetes, compared with 7% of the total general population. The risk for Native Americans developing diabetes is 2.2 times greater than the general population. Check out the rest of the American Heart Association report at here.

Recommendation

Dealing with this problem is easier said than done. It seems families could be the first line of education and agents of change. Communities also should come together and advocate changes. It may even take just one person to stand up and take control of their health to start the process of change. Change is never easy. We women need to be our own best advocates for our communities, families and our own health. All women need to know that if their medical health provider is not listening to their concerns -- they need to find another provider. We also need to stop explaining away symptoms. If something with your health isn’t right -- it isn’t right -- and you need to find out why. Too many times women’s first presentation of heart problems to a medical professional is when she arrives at the ER dead from cardiac arrest.

As a community, we have the highest prevalence rates of so many negative health and wellness issues. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we, as a community, experienced the single most amazing turn-around for our health? I can guarantee you this – if a Native American women’s movement was able to turn this around – data would not be limited on us anymore.

So, what changes can you see happening? How do we start?

Thank you, Amy

Christopher Columbus Fellowships to study Homeland Security

I was preparing a much different post than this one. I thought my last few posts were not focused on health and wellness issues, as I prefer, and that a more meaningful one was in order. Unfortunately, my plans were altered. Have you ever heard of the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation? No!? I didn’t either until I received an email this morning encouraging me to apply for one of the fellowships. Now…stay with me here – one of the fellowships focuses on – get this – Homeland Security! I kid you Not! You can win a $25,000 Christopher Columbus award to study Homeland Security issues. Don’t believe it, click right here.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

The foundation’s purpose:

The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation is an independent Federal government agency established to "encourage and support research, study and labor designed to produce new discoveries in all fields of endeavor for the benefit of mankind." Governed by a Presidential appointed Board of Trustees, the Foundation seeks to nurture and recognize pioneering individuals and programs which reflect the visionary spirit and pioneering heritage of Christopher Columbus.  

And the history of the foundation is:

In 1992 Americans celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas, and the United States Congress joined in the commemoration by passing Public Law 102-281, the Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Coins and Fellowship Foundation. The initial funding for the Christopher Columbus Foundation was derived from the sale of three denominations of specially minted coins sold by the United States Mint from August 1992-June 1993. The coin sales surcharges constituted the Foundation's endowment thus establishing a living legacy of explorer Christopher Columbus.

So, I’ll reframe from ranting on about all the issues related to a foundation such as this. However, I do have a couple recommendations I would like to offer up. Why stop at celebrating ole Chris. I have three new foundations I would like to propose:

Adolf Hitler Waste Management Fellowship Foundation. The purpose of this fellowship is to study the best strategies for disposing of unwanted waste materials.

Joseph Stalin Ukraine Food Destruction Fellowship.  The purpose of this fellowship is to study why food was over-produced in Europe.

The Klu Klux Klan Botanical & Hemp Fellowship. The purpose of this fellowship is to study trees with strong branches and the uses for hemp ropes.

All we need are some coins, a presidential appointed Board of Trustees, and an Executive Director to oversee these foundations and we could be all set. Would anyone who has studied world history and in their right mind, support any of my three foundations? I would hope not. The people connected with the Christopher Columbus Foundation must not have studied world history, be in their right minds, or both. 

The Executive Director of the Christopher Columbus’s foundation is Judith Shellenberger. If you have any questions or concerns she can be reached at judithmscolumbus@cs.com or call (315) 258-0090.

Honoring Five UB Students with Wolf-Fire Scholarships

On January 25^th, 2011 five UB students were awarded Wolf-Fire scholarships. They each received $500 for their work within Native American communities. These students will also be fellows with the Native American Center for Wellness Research. Several support systems are in place that can help these fellows be successful during their scholarly work. You can learn more about each of the fellow’s research projects here.





From Left to Right: Dinah Porter, Suzie Koehler, Lloyd Elm, Anne Lally, David Patterson, Steve Demchak, Laticia McNaughton, Mia McKie, Bill Koehler, Joe Candillo, Wayne Porter

It was a very special night with about 75 or so people in attendance. Dr. Lloyd Elm spoke about Native American educational issues and challenged us to support and work for diversity, not only in characteristics, also in thought. It is important, according to Dr. Elm, that universities value and ensure a variety of people and opinions during educational experiences.

It was an honor to be a part of this celebration. These student fellows are very good people who deserve this award and all of our support. If you happen to run into one of them, please offer up a big congratulation! 

Applications for next year’s Wolf-Fire Scholarships will begin September 1, 2011.

The Institutional-Level Bullying of Native American Students

Although Justice Might Be Blind – Privilege has 20/20

On average, about 50% of Native American students drop out of high school. There are several factors contributing to these large rates at both the institutional and student levels. There are so many issues connected with why Native Americans drop out of school it can become overwhelming to know where to start if someone wanted to do something about it. A very good resource about Native American student drop out factors can be reviewed HERE.

I’ll try not to get off on a rant about how the US educational structure was/is designed for the privileged majority’s style of learning. Nor will I fume on about how, after more than 100 years or so, Native Americans have not done so well within these educational structures. What I do want to discuss, is one specific Institutional-level factor that contributes to Native American students dropping out of American schools. Researchers have come up with different labels for this particular issue such as, poor student-teacher relations, teacher’s lack of empathy toward the student, unsuitable curriculum, unacceptable testing methods, and inadequate measurement of student intelligence. I believe it is important for these labels to be combined into one encompassing classification. The most appropriate and honest label offered, for what Native American student’s experienced throughout history and even now, in American schools is – Institutional-Level Bullying.

What is Bullying?

A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.

The act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something.

Bullying is a form of abuse. It involves repeated acts over time attempting to create or enforce one person's (or group's) power over another person (or group), thus an imbalance of power. The imbalance of power may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a target. Bullying types of behavior are often rooted in a would-be bully's inability to empathize with those whom he or she would target.

Persistent, offensive, abusive, intimidating or insulting behaviour, abuse of power or unfair penal sanctions which makes the recipient feel upset, threatened, humiliated or vulnerable, which undermines their self-confidence and which may cause them to suffer stress.

The harmful effects of bullying on students (children) are significant. There has been a recent strong movement to address the bullying that happens to school aged children in America. What finally got the school’s attention, it seems, were the many suicides by students who were bullied. There’s a video on YouTube showing students who took their own lives after being bullied by school mates. No child should ever have to endure bullying. And the schools are correct in taking these matters very seriously. Folks in power have taken these matters so seriously that there has been state laws passed that will punish bullies for their inhuman acts. Currently there are only six states without bullying laws.

 

Entering The Twilight Zone

Imagine if you will… it is 2029 and foreign invaders have entered and now rule what use to be called America. They are two-billion strong with a military that is used to suppress any civil or individual disobedience. The new rulers believe in an all powerful and all knowing kangaroo god. Any other form of worship not related to kangaroo is outlawed. The new kangaroo rulers have superior thoughts, culture, and abilities, or so they say. They take the indigenous American children and teach them about the values of worshiping kangaroo and the history of how the kangaroo people came to be such great human beings. The books that the children read discuss how the kangaroo people discovered America and made it in the image of kangaroo and its values.

The new kangaroo ruling people, in their superior wisdom, decide that the indigenous Americans have too much land and that in order for their kangaroo folks to succeed, they will need this land for their own use. So, they decide to gather up all the indigenous Americans and march them to an undeveloped, unsustainable area. The kangaroo leaders, because of their generosity decide to provide the Americans with enough money to maintain a level of poverty for a while.

Most of the indigenous American leaders are murdered and any person or groups not complying with the new laws are killed, along with killing their women and children. This policy resulted in millions of indigenous Americans being slaughtered. The kangaroo educational system believes in starting the day with a pledge of allegiance to the kangaroo. The indigenous American students are now taught, using the kangaroo model, by putting each student in a small confined box with a loud speaker blasting in moral teachings. While the kangaroo children have excelled in this form of education, the indigenous American children do not. Although the indigenous parents complain that their children are not learning and getting the necessary education as the result of this new, kangaroo model, it is kangaroo laws that children must attend the school.

Institutional-Level Bullying

After several years when the kangaroo people have transformed what used to be America, into kangaroo land, I wonder how the indigenous American children, at least the ones who survived, are doing in their new schools. I’m not sure if you have heard this but, before the kangaroo folks arrived, America used to be the greatest country on Earth. Remember, God blessed America! I am sure it would be offensive to have the kangaroo people teach the indigenous American children that their people were all savages and that the kangaroo people brought civilization and righteousness to this land. I would assume the children of the old America would have a hard time in the new kangaroo educational system – because the old American educational system was the greatest in the world.

When Native Americans, in the year 2010, have to recognize and celebrate columbus day in their schools – that is Institutional-level Bullying. Native American children being made to pledge their allegiances to a flag that was the symbol of their own people’s destruction – is Institutional-Level Bullying. For Native American children to be forced into a system that is designed for the privileged conquerors – that is Institutional-level Bullying. Please take another look at the Youtube video I earlier attached. Children taking their own lives is an extremely terrible thing and I do not want any family experiencing these tragic events. If something is happening at schools that is harming children it should be taken very seriously.  It seems from this video, and other news stories, schools are motivated to get serious when certain children are harmed or harm themselves.

Native American children, on average, have some of the highest rate of suicide and mortality compared to any other group. These are school aged children, many who have dropped out of school. Again, when asked why they are dropping out of school, the labels given are, poor student-teacher relations, the teacher’s lack of empathy, unsuitable curriculum, etc. They are expected to learn in a system that is designed for American children, not Native American children. Everyday Native American children have to enter an institution that disrespects their culture, expects them to be open to learning untruthful history, and when they drop out, that institution blames the victims.

On average in the US, Native Americans have a drop out rate of about 50%. On average in the US, Caucasians have a drop out rate of about 30%. I wonder if there would be any changes if those numbers were flipped.  Recall that 75% of Native Americans drop out of college before completion. Think about the reaction if it was reported that 75% of all students drop out of American colleges.

When the privileged are harmed, there seems to be new policies, laws, and social movements to stop that harm – instantaneously. When the minority folks are harmed, the privileged go Blind! Blind to the special needs of Native American students. Blind to how the current institutional structures are not working for certain students. And Blind to the fact that, until there are changes in the way educational services are delivered to Native American children, American schools are guilty of Institutional-level Bullying.

Peace, DAP

Native American Study Abroad Program

For those of you who know about the Native American Center for Wellness Research (NACWR) and have looked at NACWR’s website, a Study Abroad Program (SAP) is being developed. There are a couple grants the center is applying for that will help create a SAP for Native American students throughout the State University of New York System and beyond. While the project is still in the development stage, the proposed plan is to travel to Ireland for four weeks, studying and traveling around Cork, Dublin, and Galway. Students will have the unique opportunity to experience a different, but somewhat similar culture along with earning six college credit hours.

Blarney Castle

Universities have long understood the benefits of international education. There are lots of data supporting these SAPs. Some of the outcomes for students who experienced studying abroad include, increased maturity, enhanced self-assurance, incredible sense of achievement, improved communication skills, just to name a few of the many.

Although there are great experiences associated with participating in a SAP, universities usually discourage “at-risk” students from enrolling in these programs. Why you might ask? Well…common sense would indicate that at-risk students should not be distracted from the most important factors of higher education – sitting in a dirty classroom listening to a professor talk about issues that won’t be on a test!

Cliffs of Moher

There are differences in college dropout rates for all student populations; however the gap is paramount among African American, Hispanic, and Native American students (see NCES). It has been found that 75 percent to 93 percent of Native Americans drop out of college prior to completion. I would say these figures would make them an “at-risk” population.

At-risk students, according to common sense thinking, should only focus on staying in school. No distractions! Although they are very high risk from escaping…uh, I mean dropping out of college; it is best that they remain in the institution and learn within that environment.  A typical college class is not the milieu for “hands-on” or practical learning, that studying abroad offers. If students are looking for that, they should enroll in a heating and air, auto mechanic, or a specialized course for kazoo technology. Apparently SAPs are for students who are accustomed and have mastered the standard institutional learning environment.

Dublin Castle

Well…as it turns out, SAPs just might be what at-risk students need. In 2000, researchers with the GLOSSARI project started a large-scale effort to document the academic outcomes of study abroad programs across the thirty-five institution University System of Georgia. Some ten years later, they discovered that “students who study abroad have improved academic performance upon returning to their home campus, have higher graduation rates, and have improved knowledge of cultural practices and context compared to students in control groups.” It was also revealed that studying abroad helps, rather than hinders, academic performance of at-risk students.

According to a GLOSSARI associate it has always been the common belief that students who are at-risk of dropping out of college should be discouraged from studying abroad. However, this study finds that studying abroad can actually be an intervention to improve retention rates for college students. Studying abroad does not derail their educational efforts. Instead, it actually focuses their work.

College Cork

So, one of NACWR’s goals is to assist Native American students successfully obtain a degree. By developing and offering a study abroad experience for Native American students, we hope to greatly impact learning and achievement. If you know a Native student enrolled in the SUNY system (State University of New York) or any Native students enrolled in another university and think they would be interested, please have them contact me. If you are a current student, do the same. I will update this blog and the NACWR website as things progress.

Peace, DAP

The INDIAN Is DEAD in You

“Let all that is Indian in you die! You cannot become truly American Citizens – industrious, intelligent, cultured, civilized until the INDIAN within you is DEAD.” These are the words of Rev J.A. Lippincott who, in 1898, gave the commencement speech to Carlisle Indian School graduates. I’ve heard this and other similar statements before, but for some reason when I recently read this, it hit me very differently. I have been reading materials on boarding schools lately and reviewed a book written by Michael C. Coleman titled, American Indians, the Irish, and Government Schooling: A Comparative Study.

About the same time as the US government was setting up Indian boarding school policies, the British government was also developing policies to educate their own “savages” over in Ireland! Coleman does a good job remaining emotionally detached as he lays out the evolution of these similar policies. While I’m reading Coleman’s text, it just so happened that the shooting in Arizona consumed all of the news on TV. If you have not heard about this story it is here. Although there were six people killed, the majority of the news topic was and has been on the US congress person who survived being shot in the head. Reading this book and watching the news caused me to think more deeply about what it might take to alter someone’s “being.”

It seems we know the familiar story of someone getting killed. What we are waiting for and watching is to see if the congress person who was shot in the head will survive and if so, will she remain who she was. She was a certain type person with specific characteristics that made her who she was. Now that her brain has been damaged, what will she become? Is who she was -- DEAD?

Thinking of Parables

I heard my Grandma speak many times about a great teacher who traveled around talking to folks about the ways of a certain religion. He had a teaching technique where he would make a strong point by telling stories in a way that made sense to the person being taught. This technique is considered teaching in parables. For instance, if this man was talking with…say…a fisherman, he would talk about fishing. He would say something like, ‘Come, I will make you fishers of men.” If he was speaking with builders, he would make a statement like, “build your house upon a sound foundation.” And when he would meet with academic professors, he would say, “Those who can’t do, teach.” Well... not so much that last one!  

Anyway, I like this style of teaching. I can always get more out of a common sense story related to a topic I know something about. When I thought about the boarding school policies of the US and their intended goals, I see them as being more horrific than a policy of straight out genocide. When a person is killed, they remain who they are/were. When we speak about some of the great Indian leaders who were killed throughout our history, although they are not physically present – the INDIAN in them is not DEAD. Killing does not alter or remove the INDIAN from within the Indian. Removing the INIDIAN from an Indian is impossible – at least this is what I hope we have all learned.

The WOLF Is DEAD in You

What is the story (parable) of another living being that experienced similar events from a policy intended to remove it or its “being?” It seems it could be the story of the Wolf. There was a time when the Wolf was viewed as being a ruthless killer. It had the reputation as being an animal that solely could destroy the way of life for new settlers – The Lone Wolf! Because of this label, Wolves could be killed without any regard – which they were.

As it turns out, the Wolf is a magnificent creature. There is no such thing as a lone Wolf. They live within a structured community and select a mate for life. They speak to each other, have rules, systems, and can survive without any human's help! When the Wolf was finally eradicated from certain parts of the US, like Yellowstone Park, it resulted in that entire ecological system being severely disrupted and out of balance.

There was no way to kill the WOLF in the Wolf. Left alone, Wolves will carry out their purpose as they have ever since there were Wolves. Now, we could kill every Wolf but that would not alter the idea of the WOLF -- it would only devastate the ecological environment. A person cannot kill the WOLF within the Wolf, even if they cut its hair, remove it from its territory, remove its pups, train it to sit and roll over, or force it to graduate from obedience school. Humans will never be able to alter the “being” of another living creature through policy development. When you see a Wolf, what you are really seeing is the WOLF. Those two items are one-in-the-same. They are inseparable. Just like when you see a cake, you are not viewing each individual ingredients making up the cake, nor can you remove those individual ingredients like the eggs, flour or milk. The same is true when you see an Indian. The ingredients making up the INDIAN once born into the Indian is inseparable!

The best statement during a commencement speech would be…“Let all that is INDIAN in you flourish! You cannot become truly HUMAN – until the INDIAN within you is ALIVE.”

Peace, DAP

Who Really Owns or Who Should Own Research Data?

The Bayh-Dole Act, an act established in 1980 by Sens. Birch Bayh (D-Ind.) and Bob Dole (R-Kan.), deals with intellectual property occurring from research. Basically, the federal act gives universities the control over intellectual property that results from federal funds. As a federally funded researcher working within a university, it is important to understand and abide by that federal law, I guess!

After a couple readings of the law it seems to suggest that the university can retain the rights to any intellectual property resulting from research that is conducted as part of that university. So…I studied other writings on the law hoping to clear up any misgivings about this issue, and the result -- I have not a clue what this means in the real world of conducting research as it relates to the true ownership of data and other research funded products!

I do understand that if a federally-funded researcher, working in a university, discovered a pill that could finally cure, say… hemorrhoids, that researcher couldn’t setup a business selling this product without a financial cut going back to the university. It appears, before the Bayh-Dole Act, the federal government would get all of the rights and money to any new research discoveries. As the result of the Bayh-Dole Federal Act, the university would get some of the financial benefits from the new hemorrhoid pill’s cure. Can you guess how much money could be made by curing all these pains in the asses?!

What remains unclear is the issue I am most interested in – who really owns data and other products resulting from funded research that may not have any foreseeable market value?   

Typical Research Study Scenario

Let’s say I was awarded a five year federally-funded grant to study technology use habits of college students. I budget for the grant to pay part of my salary, health benefits, travel, and some supplies I need to carryout this study (e.g., new laptop computer, printer, scanner, video recorder for interviews, and office supplies).  Also as part of that budget I buy 40 laptop computers and 40 smart phones. I plan to study the technology use differences between African American and Caucasian students.  I will recruit 80 total student volunteers, 40 African Americans (20 with laptops and 20 with smart phones) and 40 Caucasians (20 with laptops and 20 with smart phones) and follow them using their new technology products for three years. I hypothesize that one racial group of students will have lower rates of usage than the other group.

Now let’s say that three years have past and the study is over. It seems the policy of the university is that all products resulting from grants (in this case, laptops and smart phones) are to be returned to the university. There is a policy that these things become to property of the university. Also, although I can continue using the specifically supplies I brought for my use, such as the laptop, printer, scanner, etc, they are also the property of the university.  That’s the university’s policy.

I go back to the students and say the study has ended and I need the laptops and smart phones back. I present them with a $30 gift card for volunteering and thank them for their work. I’m not sure how, but the study’s products get distributed back into the university’s possession and inventory. Now…what about the data that results from doing research with those students -- who really owns that data?  I bet it is safe to assume the university owns this as well.

Studying some special groups, like Native Americans, should have a different policy

If you’ve reviewed any health and wellness data related to Native Americans, then you know that this groups suffers disproportionately compared to any other group.  For instance, of the top 10 lowest income counties in the US, 7 are located on reservations and the one in Alaska, 93% report being Native American on the 2000 US census.

Top 10:

1. Buffalo County, South Dakota (82% Native American)
2. Shannon County, South Dakota (94% Native American)
3. Starr County, Texas (88% White)
4. Zieback County, South Dakota (73% Native American)
5. Todd County, South Dakota (86% Native American)
6. Sioux County, North Dakota (85% Native American)
7. Corson County, South Dakota (61% Native American)
8. Wade Hampton, Alaska (93% Native American)
9. Maverick County, Texas (71% White)
10. Apache County, Arizona (77% Native American)

(Note: Thank goodness for Texas! Out of the top 100 poorest counties in the US, 17 are located in Texas, followed by 16 in my home state of Kentucky!)

(Note 2: I was going to use the saying, Don’t Mess whiff Texas, but that saying is trade marked by the Texas Department of Transportation. I purposely misspelled the word “with” hoping to avoid the unauthorized use of the trade mark and subsequently being placed on death row in a Texas prison.) 

Studying the factors associated with why Native Americans have such poor rates of health, and then doing something about that should be a high priority.  Any researcher having the privilege of studying/working with Native Americans must do so with an eye toward complying with federal law, university policies, and what I will suggest is the most significant factor – the Native community’s best interests.

Some policies should be developed with some common decency and a level of morality rather than collecting every nickel and dime that is available to the university. Let’s say a researcher was awarded a small grant to study the attitudes within a specific, large Native family living on a certain reservation. The plan is to visit the family and spend a few hours asking questions and collecting data. As part of the research grant, funds are available to cover the cost of a large feast as a reward to the family for providing information to the researchers.

Leftovers and Research Data

Following the university’s policy, it seems the researchers, after all the information was gathered from the native family, would require that any/all food leftovers be collected and returned promptly to the university!  Can you imagine that!? What type person would have the cojones to follow this policy on their way out of that family’s home? If a computer would have to be returned to the university, what about a half pot of corn soup? What about that data collected during that visit? Who really should owns that data?

At my university the policy states that research records, “as at other research universities, both the research director and the University have rights and responsibilities concerning custody, maintenance, retention, use of and access to original research data.” It continues with, “each faculty research director is responsible for: (a) retaining original research data for a period of three years following completion of the project or publication of the data whichever comes later.” The policy goes on to state that data “are to be retained by the University for a period of at least three years after completion of the research project for which the data were collected.”

If I leave the university or asked to leave as the result of posting this here document, I “may take copies of research data for projects on which [I] have worked. Original data, however, must be retained at [my university] by the research director.”

Reciprocal Partnership

I know there are tribes out west that has a strong relationship with universities and researchers. Any products resulting from research such as computers, data, office supplies, etc. goes back to the tribal community.  The example I used earlier about studying students using smart phones and laptops, if that study was done within one of those strong Native-university partnership communities, those products would go to tribe – not the university. The materials I used as part of that research, my laptop, printer, scanner, would also go to the tribe. That tribe could put those items to use for their own people just as well as a university finding ways to reuse laptops and other supplies. 

It seems a policy requiring products to be returned to Native American communities should apply to any university researching these communities. While the Bayh–Dole Act could remain, there is no moral justification to have a one-way research policy that takes research products from Native communities without returning any products. The reason the Bayh-Dole Act became law was because, during the relationship between the university and the federal government, the university was not directly benefiting from its research. The same can be said of the current research relationship between the university and Native American communities.  

I am very interested in hearing from folks who have Research University-Native American community partnerships where there are collaborative, productive policies. Being able to learn from these existing collaborative policies would be a great way to move toward a meaningful, productive, moral, reciprocal partnerships.

Peace, DAP