Special Series on Multiculturalism in Curriculum Inquiry

Abstract

In this article, two white science teachers at tribal schools in the Upper Midwest of the United States, who were identified by community members and school administrators as “successful” teachers, describe experiences of how they wrestle with the daily effects of generations of oppression. Most vividly, they talk about poverty. This article provides a description of some of the beliefs and attitudes, described by the teachers, that help them to be effective allies and teachers for Native American students. Their interviews offer a glimpse into the internal struggle with the contradictions of oppression. This article broadens the discussion of Native American culture-based education and raises questions for the general applicability of cultural discontinuity as an all-encompassing explanation for Native American school failure.