Leadership experiences of an American Indian education leader serving Indian students in an Indian community

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to add to the knowledge base on American Indian education leadership by examining the leadership experiences of an American Indian education leader serving predominately Indian students on an Indian reservation. The researcher viewed the study through the lens of Tribal Critical Race Theory which values narrative and stories as important sources of data and that colonization is endemic in society while also acknowledging the role played by racism (Brayboy, 2005, p. 430). The questions guiding this investigation centered on the leadership experiences of an American Indian education leader of a public school district on an American Indian reservation and the influences of the leader to give voice to his constituents in the development of a culturally relevant curriculum. The study population consisted of an American Indian education leader of a public school district, school district faculty, graduates of the school district, and parents; all participants were tribal members. The setting was a public school district located on an American Indian reservation. The researcher chose a qualitative case study approach to examine for understanding the leadership experiences of a specific American Indian education leader of a public school district on an American Indian reservation. Creswell (2003) emphasizes qualitative research is interpretive which allows the researcher to interpret the data including developing a description of an individual or setting, analyzing data for themes or categories, and finally making an interpretation or drawing conclusions about its meaning personally or theoretically (p. 182). Data Collection methods included audio-recorded onsite interviews with the leader participant and three different focus groups consisting of faculty members, former graduated students, and parent/community/tribal participants. Other data sources included the analysis of documents and visual observations of the school district and reservation. The study findings articulated that the American Indian education leader's experiences centered on the development of cultural identity and Indigenous knowledge. The researcher was particularly impressed by the need to actively involve the parents and communities in the development of a culturally relevant curriculum and culturally responsive teachers. The implications of this inquiry for practice in education could impact both K-12 institutions and higher education institutions as they address the challenges of educating students from different cultures.