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Title
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Native American Studies: Resources for Self Determination program and Mary Hillaire self evaluation
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Date
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1973-1977
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extracted text
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Resources for .· 2lf Determination
AHERICAH ;TUDIES 1973 to 1977
Library Building Room 140 :1 , The Evergreen State College
:~ATIVE
"Because we are free, we can never be indifferent to the fate of freedom elsewhere. Our.
1oral sense dictates a clear-cut preference for those societies which share with us an
biding respect for individual human rights" • . • . Carter went even further in early
February by sending a personal letter to Sakharov in which he reaffirmed his determination
"to seek the release of prisoners of conscience" and to "shape"a world responsive to
human aspirations" The QUESTION can the President's bold initiatives improve the plight
of millions of people ground down by tyranny?
"One U.S. official in Washington contends that a "global human rights crisis" is now
developing. If so the Carter administration's statements on the subject may be just the
beginning of a number of positions it will have to adapt to deal with that crisis. Those
positions will be complicated by the fact that the United States, as a world power, must
also pursue its diplomatic and military objectives, and these sometimes clash with a
concern for human rights. The realistic conduct of foreign policy, therefore, will not be
easy. But the United States must make it known that it stands for more than naked power,
and that its original principles, once an inspiration to men everywhere, have not been
forgotten. The repercussions of such a stance could be revolutionary--and, in that sense
truly American."
"
Reading the article titled "Carter and Human Rights" in the April 2, 1977 Saturday Review
brought back to mind the difficulty in the development of different approaches to the
educational process here in the United States when the difference required change and not
just more or longer terms of the same institutional instruction and how difficult to get
people to think through the ideal of significant difference (values, culture and attitudinal
history) that demands communication that results in understanding that most of what is of
value in life is given to ultimately experience having it. Native American Studies requires
large scale change in the educational process (in that education will still influence people
ith the added idea that people will influence the educational process) starting with
the need to question 'educational authority' as ultimate measure of achievement of Uative
American People, challenge of the selection of what is worth knowing and worthy of knowing
and the demand that education should benefit those who are educated. My parents kept me
going ~-lith the caution that the hardest right I had to earn is the'RIGHT TO BE DIFFERENT'
and that I could only enjoy that right if I would help OTHERS realize in this we are as one
people designed in diversity. Robert Theobald states this idea in these words in his book
BEYOi.® DESPAIR "He need to recognize that decision making from the top down must be
replaced by widespread opportunities for participation . • • . This means setting up new
methods to involve people effectively in creative decision making and new methods to
develop and destribute knowledge."
NATIVE A}ffiRICAN STUDIES (alternative in education) was designed as an open educational
opportunity for Native American People at the higher education level to provide ultimate
way for Native American People to reestablish standard of performance characteristic of
Native American People that defined the Native American Experience and to promote the
discovery of academic skills required for Native Ame~ican People to meet the demands of a
plural society that define Native American People part of NANKIND. NATIVE A.l\ffiRICAN STUDIES
developed four values that I as a Native American have found in communication I have had
both with individuals and communities including:
1. Relationship of Native American People to the LAND.
2. Relationship of Native American People to
OTHERS.
3. Relationship of Native American People to
WORK.
4. Relationship of Native American People to EXCHANGE.
~ ne
education model was taken from the Smokehouse Gatherings of the Native American Peopla
where the educational mixture of traditional people, transitional people and youth submerged
so that community teachings emerged as the means of individual and community direction and
d·~termination of how to teach, what and with what results toward what is best for the most.
-·
.... --:---· --- - --~ - -- .
--~~~-
~
,,
The statement of philosophy and goals was developed for this interdisciplinary
specialty area early in the 1976-77 academic year by the initial Specialty Area
faculty planning group. A review of this initial goal statement during this
evaluation period has revealed that the clientele and types of programs projected for the area have been appropriate and remain in line with faculty interests
and perceived student needs in this specialty area. That goal statement is as
follows:
This interdisciplinary area has the yotential for serving two
rather different student clientele - students who are interested
in preserving and enhancing their unique cultural heritage and
who are developing strategies for self-determination in the pluralistic
society in which we live today; and students interested in studying about
traditional Native American cultures and values, anthropology, ethnohistory, expressive arts, the dynamics of culture change and modern
Native American communities.
Evergreen recognizes the unique position that Native Americans hold
as members of communities which have sovereign legal status within
the United States. This specialty area is designed to accomodate
Native American students who are developing skills which will allow
them to provide community leadership in the context of traditional
values. The Native American faculty working in this specialty area
clearly represent the traditional values upon which these communities
are founded.
The underlying objectives of this program area are the development
of workable relationshipsbetweenthe student, his or her community
and the college and the support of each student's sense of personal
authority. Programs offered in this area support shared educational
authority of a student's cultural and heritage areas such as culture
history and the arts or skills useful in tribal government and
culturally referenced educational systems are explored.
In addition, students who, broadly speaking, are interested in the methods and theory of anthropology, culture history and cross-cultural
differences can find advanced coursework within this specialty area.
The Northwest offers unique opportunities for the study of prehistoric
migrations to the New World, human ecology, acculturation - including
the impact of contacts with Russia, the fur trade, and the gold rush,
and the impact of the pipeline on Alaska Native communities. There
are rich opportunities for field study and internships throughout the
Northwest for students interested in these areas.
The programs A Separate Reality and Symbolization are part of a greater five year
sequence exemplifying the Native American modes of actualization: listening, performing,
questioning and symbolizing. The programs in this specialty area have consistently
implemented the functional development of the two different·student clienteles
within their communities/vocations/interests. The recognition of significant
differences between people was reflected in modes of study, individual projects,
staffing and student population. Multi-ethnic faculty and students provided a
rich mix of views, experiences and resources. For the past two years in the
major coordinated studies program a coordinated team of five faculty members -
·r
-2three Native Americans, one Black and one white - from the disciplines of
philosophy, communications, educational administration, community education
and anthropology have collaborated to carry out the institutional goals of
the college in _the following manner:
'demonstrating a willingness to take intellectual and emotional
risks not often encountered in the"traditional classroom" by dealing
with a culturally diverse student population in innovative ways,
including exposing and using the significant cultural and personal
differences among faculty as a teaching tool to demonstrate the
reality and significance of diversity in human relationships and
global politics.
'demonstrating both through faculty collaboration and the student
populations most frequently worked with - Native Americans, Blacks
and older students returning to school - a commitment to "stepping outside the mainstream into those cultural tributaries that he~p make the
mainstream what it is and beyond that into those, whether foreign or
·indigenous, that seem disconnected from conventional ways of thinking,
feeling, and acting." Further, with each group and community of students involved in the program, a major objective was facilitating student awareness of "the value of cultural div~rsity by dealing with a wide
range of situations, people and problems."
'demonstrating a commitment to the philosophy that education; should
be "an experience in the real world" in which the "boundary between life
on campus and life off campus is as permeable as is practically possible."
The structure of all programs in this specialty area emphasize community
study and internships, and academically and structurally recognize students' commitments in their own communities by offering evening and weekend seminar times and off-campus, community-based seminars.
1978-79 academic year, for example, Symbolization:
During the
The Emerging Individual
held a Fall quarter "weekend college" at the Squaxin Tribal Center near
Shelton, Washington; and held weekly seminars for working Tacoma students
in faculty members' homes in Tacoma.
The Group Contract, The Uses of the
Past scheduled many evening and weekend sessions, held seminars in museums
and offered an evening module in the program specifically to make the
program available as a part time option for community people with daytime employment conflicts.
The major emphasis in the educational experi-
ences designed for Native American students is the successful maintenance
of "triad relationship" in which the student, his or her community and
the college, mutually benefit from time spent at Evergreen.
~xploring
The program
Native American Art familiarized itself with Southwest Indian
,pottery through colored slides, actual samples, background speakers and
film, visits to museums and culminated in an extended field experience
to the Southwest to examine pottery and pottery-making firsthand.
-3·The programs in this specialty area have
~ade
use of the modern
facilities available at Evergreen, particularly the high quality audiovisual equipment, as teaching tools which are integrated into the fabric of the coordinated studies program and group contracts in this area.
This is done both in an attempt to make students aware of the potentialities and potency of visual media, such as television,
~s
well as to
make available to students and communities at some distance from the
Evergreen campus "living textbooks" which can lirik the college/student
and community.
In the Symbolization program, for example, each weekly
seminar focusing on important concepts in human development was videotaped by a Native American student video team tr~~ned within the prgrr _L~
/)_ Jvvv~ --r~w UV..,. et-l.J.--' )~~ !.1 ,?~~
gram, as was the weekend college~~ topies of these tapes have been
requested by the Nisqually Tribe, for example, who then can share in
and understand the ideas explored in the program.
The Uses of the Past
program has included a module on photography and was for people working
in museums or on cultural heritage projects to assemble audio-visual
programs using historical materials .
·emphasizing as the major educational goal the development of a sense
of personal authority, by encouraging each student to "do what he or she
does best", and by' encouraging the discovery of this through individual
initiative, and responsibility for thinking and acting for themselves as
they work cooperatively and collaboratively with others.
Through a pro-
cess analytically broken into three related components, students in the
Coordinated Studies Program A Separate Reality were encouraged to explore
IDENTITY, GROUP LOYALTY and the PERSONAL integrity and self-confidence _
which express themselves in a sense of PERSONAL AUTHORITY.
·finally the programs and approach to learning in this area is supportive
of student interests and cooperative with students' and communities'
needs.
During 1978, the class by Lynn Patterson utilized historical
anthropological and artistic source materials.
Workshops were held in
seeing, photography, and module in "current issues in anthropology."
Lynn Patterson collaborated with Marilyn Frasca for a writing and
seeing workshop and with K.J. Pataki-Schweizer of the University of
Papua New Guinea for "current Issues."
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-4During 1979, Lynn Patterson's class is doing historica~ anthropological,
archeological and artistic/symbolic source material.
Patterson collabo-
rates with Bob Barnard who teaches photography and other audio and
visual skills and collaborates with
archeologist Derek Valley and his-
torian Dane Nieaudri from State Capitol Museum.
Collaboration with the
Museum is viewed as important on-going component of this type program.
A critical component is also the utilization of community resource
people.
Many of the students who enter the programs in this area are older, more mature
students who have specific skills and abilities and want additional development
in .s elected areas.
As such, they often enter the programs with a high degree
of expertise that has never been formally recognized.
Within the format of the
programs this expertise is given a public platform and further competencies
are added.
This is exemplified in the career placement of the students.
Mary Elh:n Hillaire
Resources for Self Determinatio·n 1976-77
Native American Studies
The charge of this self evaluation of the work of ~lary Ellen Hillaire is a word picture
of a working education formula composed of cultural referenced native proficency and
academic knowledge, abilities and skills required to establish an open educational
opportunity for Native American People in the traditional education system as means of
providing for the unique education needs of culturally different people and to promote
the human ,development toward self direction and self determination as the ultimate
expression of designed diversity which is the common heritage . of mankind.
The self evaluation will include my statement and documents of support in the following
areas:
1. The Native American Student's own evaluation of personal achievement.
CONTRACT, . STUDENT AND SPONSOR EVALUATIONS)
I
"
(LEARNING
2. Resources for Self Determination the program concepts, topic seminars, activities
and 'the people that work the program.
3. The culturally referenced proficiency and academic knowledge, ability and skills of
Mary Ellen Hillaire relative to the capacity to gain knowledge, understand stability and
chang7 in learning and to apply understanding as required to facilitate the development
of human potential through education.
The plan for this self evaluation is to call three witnesses one student, one Native
American Educator and one non Native American Educator who will be given the personal
responsibility insure accueacy, to further insure clarity and to see that the work done
on this day April 21st. is remembered correctly. I will provide the names at later date.
The work of the evaluation "tvill include personal statement, discussion and consensus of
the group to the report relative to addressing the following questions concerning the
program Resources for Self Determination: 1. What did the program set out to do?
2. How was it set up to do it? 3. What was the learning involved and to what end and/or
result? 4. So What?
Speaking to area #1, questions fl's 1, 2, 3, 4.
In addition to my statement titled "Resources for Self Determination" dated April lOth.
and the students contracts and quarterly evaluations what the program is charged with is
to provide a cooperative understanding of where the student is resulting from the use of
the diagnostic teaching used to set up the learning experience designed to identify and
expose ideas for direction and resources to support struggles toward final determination
of the kind of education that will benefit each and every student. The advantage the
students take of the academic skill area is clear in the fact that not only have student
the formal background considered for admission the history of Native American Studies
indicate that students go from here to gainful employment and graduate study as proof of
this part of the program. The second AIM to promote the recognition and respect of
culturally reference proficency was accomodated through a renewed acquaintanceship with
Native American Communities (Lummi, Tulalip)through site visitation by students during
the winter ceremonies that generated the true faith with the past as it worked as a
catalylic agent for change innovation of traditions in building change models required
for cross cultural participation in a p~ural society. In the future shaping of Native
American Studies attention must be given to designing an appropiate means of recognizing
influence and identifying change (learning) resulting from these culturally referenced
learning experiences toward ultimate denifition of final authority over excellence.
For proof of this accomplishment here are the documents gathered in this order and
conpiled to direct revie~er attention to the student interest to the program ccncepts
that provide a core curriculun from which students deteroine the final design of a!l
ed·.Jca::iC':'l that ·.;ill bc:1e fit hm.
Docu:::ents include !;e·.;sletters, Si~n L'l sheet, co:1tracts
~, d s: \,; -1~:! tIs -;-:r:ts ·:!r e:v Z: l t:~ ': i c~::..
The area 12 l{esources for Self Determinat.Lon speaking to the four questions (1 ,2, 3,4,)
was designed to establish a working and vorkable partnership between the student, his
community and the college for the purpos r. of cooperatively opening for students a
complex of resources to be used as the t~~ls to compose educational experiences into
career design relative to n~o major direction employment and graduate school. The role
taken by each tried to take into account that which the resource could do best giving to
each (the student, the community and the college) that which is characteristic of its
position in - the universe of learning to strengthen the need to use total resources
to gain positive command of developing human potential.
This was accomplished by the development of an education model that not only provided
the core curriculum (activities, seminars & field work) to establish direction it promoted
the means by which students could design their own learning experiences through setting up
their Special Interest Project in area of their own selection as seen as important to
the educational product they wish to produce. The value and result of this figures in
the expression of recognition and respect as seen in the STUDENT EVALUATION OF FACULTY
and also in the . STUDENT'S OWN EVALUATION OF PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT.
The third area cultural referenced proficiency and academic knowledge, ability and skills
relative to the student, the institution, the people and to the field EDUCATION as I see
Mary Ellen Hillaire as I have projected from academic year 1973-74 for Native American
Studies and for my own growth and development both are on target relative to establishing
and maintaining life (students) to the educational model or idea. How I have measured
development is by developing a working group of people including student past, present
and future; educators and curious people with whom I have discussed progress and the
problems of the programs with specific developmental characteristics in mind such as
program, student, community involvement and institutional support. These relationships
have been helpful to me as an educator, invaluable to me as a Native American Person
and comfortable in that they have been in the most part positive. Documents are the
letters of recommendation for the position Administrative Assistant to the Governor on
Indian Affairs.
the case of the academic knowledge, abilities and skills I maintain these and develop
others in my on-going desire to learn through reading, interpersonal relationship with
people in various and varied areas of dealing with the development of htnnan potential
and group participation in workshops, inservice training, seminars and other activities
both through The Evergreen State College and the communities that it serves. I have not
this year been able to keep a complete calendar due to the number of students I work with
, however, in regard to my mm personal development in the area of knovrledge, abilities
and skills I have selected things that I have writen relative to the program and the
programs from activities I have participated in such as workshops & in-service projects~
In most cases my activities are recorded on cassette as most complete -and final report
of my work.
On
.;
The strength of my work is that I work from a background rooted in a family commitment
of several generation of maintained authority that is worked on concert with my belief
that each and every learning has a right to an education that will be of both personal
benefit and prepare him to contribute to his society. Further I have been blessed or
cursed with the need to learn and the habit of questioning that moves me always from
the place of confort toward unknown.
Weaknesses in my work is that I have to unlearn so much so that I might learn and there
are so few contemporary models that are secure in their roles and positions as to
converse with me toward a consensus understanding that no one could be us right as to
be beyond the positive need to change and to know why they are changeing. Again another
weakness is in the fact that the central figure in the development of alternative
education "significant difference"(value, culture and attitudinal history) is not very
~
Well understood and therefore institutional support has been limited. If it were not for
......-- individuals such as Nary F. Nelson, Maxine Himms, Betsy Dif fen dahl and Lynn Patterson
I would not have survived let alone succeed as I feel I have in the work Native American
Studies.
1
r
t \. _ _ _
:·k lhod of teaching anJ learning has been d t aHn from the Oral Tradition and requires
•,.-orking und \.-orkuble interpersonal relationships in communication showing how people are
affected by their social surroundings,b::; \•hat is expected of them and how adults process
knowledge, skills and abilities through le ~ rning. The original idea was to use traditional
disciplines such as Native American Music, Native American Dance, Talk and Art, however, due
to circumstances only the area TALK was developed during the now four academic years NATIVE
M-lERICAN STUDIES has been set up to accomodate students. Since academic year 1973-74 there
have been three one year programs including: ORAL TRADITION 1974-75; PERFORM: Bring Out An
Idea 1975-76 and RESOURCES FOR SELF DETERMINATION 1976-77. In addition· to the three program~:
there have been two summer quarter programs: 1. Cultural Re-Entry and 2. QUESTION
DIRECTIVE: Research for Image Makers.
I guess I could have figured out just how many Native American Students enrolled in each of
programs, however, as I select what I want to say about the programs the number of students
is not as important as trying to put into words the AIM of the programs relative to the
developing partnership between the student, his community and the college toward a process
of human development that opens up to serious critical analysis the practical work of all
those who make decisions about the benefits of human life. Because of the fact that in most
educational programs and resources used by Native American People those who make decisions
about life in Native American Communities did not participate in the design or the developmen
of educational opportunities for Native American People therefore making it difficult to
reinterpret their lives so as to understand_how they come to be what they are. Over many ye n
THE AUTHORITY (the source of understanding ongoing human development), THE IDENTITY (the
role and position of the individual in community) and LOYALTY (the way people literally n
negotiate change and growth in their lives through social processes)the essentials of or for
self determination gave way to what appeared to be neglect, lack of responsibility and final ]
submission to the values, culture and attitudes of the dominant force of the majority. (Whit e
Noted studies include: The Merian Report, The Kennedy Task Force Report and the National
Commission set up to review the policies dealing with Indian Affairs in the United States.
For what ever reason there has been nothing developed by insititutions or individual
educators that addresses the unique needs of the Native American People relative to how
~they continue to adapt adjust and accept knowledge and the responsibility of knowing through
out their life time. Native American Studies is one comprehensive study in contemperary
Native American Community that addresses the need for a functional formula of culturally
referenced capabilities and academic skill relative to change and stability. To accomplish
the task of developing such a formula Native American Studies by nature had to be open to
all Native American People by invitation to define the knowledge of the Native American
Experience that is to be rendered down as major ~orces emerged to form the process that
influences the final adjustment of people to events that change or disrupt the on going
pattern of life.
~
To date what seems reasonable is that there exists between people and peoples significant
difference (values, culture and attitudinal history) from which and to which their could be
no communication either to or from these people or peoples without understanding that will
transcend SELF in ultimate thought. That the educational opportunity must be based on an
analysis of the characteristics of the contempory life style of Native American People
and set up in an alternative or parallel learning situation taking into account the unique
needs in addition to the recognized demands of a plural society maintained through accepted
academic skills. (diagnostic teaching) That it is necessary to develop educational models
or mechanisms devised to enable people to learn from themselves, from their children, from
the neighbors and their communities standards of personal success required in order that
community might be kept at a level where each and every one has a chance to be a decent
human being a\vare of bel:luty and sensitive to the needs of OTHERS. (team teaching and
community study) That we must now think on the responsibility to educate greater and
greater numbers of people instead of providing the means that selected groups finally
ouzzle through the traditional education labyrinth. (visualizing change tmvard a lvorking
. .~and workable DEHOCRACY} At this time reminded by the history of problems NATIVE ANERICAN
STUDIES has had to get understanding and support the question is not whether we can change,
but whether we possess, as individuals, as groups and communities the courageto review old
anJ ob~ ·:> lct c \..','l}" S , iJ c~1 s anJ th i nki ng that are responsible for the difficultil! s \..' 1.! are
havin r, nm..r a s \..' C f ind it hard to adapt ne\> ways of doing things, adjust to new people \..'orkin r.
with us toward a better \..rorld and acceptan ::e that no one can change unless all understand
how change happens.
In the conclusion of this history of NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES from 1973 to 1977 rather every
reports tell us that we have much trouble such as dirty air, vanishing space, no
silence and little communication what can be done well we do have the capability to
rethink our relationship to the land, the ability to understand difference to promote
the need and understanding of equivalence required for a workable ~ivision of labor,
a functional economy that promoted a realistic distribution of resources, an educational
system designed to as Robert Theobald stated in BEYOND DESPAIR • • • • recognize that
decision-making from the top down must be replaced by widespread opportunity ·for
participation & we need to abandon our present competitive"we they," "win-lose" models of
the world and replace them with cooperative "win-win" understandings and of course we must
discover workable ways for people to contribute and benefit that will enlarge each persons
understanding of the unknown as they learn to share better that which they know with OTHERS.
(Exchange)
~ day
The underlined concepts have been the major thrust in the programs that difine the
NATIVE AHERICAN STUDIES at The Evergreen State College and as time provided means the
results will be evaluated to determine just what of the learning experiences can be lifted
from their time reference to become the basic skills or fundemental structure of the
educational system, the process or sequence of learning experiences to develop the
intermediate and advanced areas of the education. In the planning what I have just set
dmm as the history of NATIVE ANERICAN STUDIES is the first part of the total process in
that I projected five years as what I call life giving time for the idea from which it is
hoped some of the basic, intermediate and advanced elements will be identified and worked
into the formula that will include the cultural referenced material and the selected
academic skills that will make up the educational model for Native American People.
·. ( _
A Sepactte Reality F, W, S 1977 - 78
Faculty - Mary Hillaire
David Whitener, Lovern King
Maxine Mimms, Elizabeth Diffendal
-
-
TUESDAY
~!O~AY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
8:00 a.m.
-
.
8:.30 a.m .
9:00 a.m.
Individual Stud
Dean's Group
Office Work and .
9:"30 a.m.
ent Conferences
and DTFs
Planning
10:1)0 a.m.
Class Lecture
!
10:30
a..m.
..
'
)
11:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
I
12:00 NOON
"\I/
12:30 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
Tacoma Class
Faculty Seminar
1:10 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
2:10 p.m.
'¥
Faclty Mtg.
3:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
4:)0 p.m.
5 : 00 p.m.
)
w
,;
\I
)
\
v
- - ·-
_\!
)
1973-86_NAS_8D38_02_16