The Challenge of Indigenous Education: Practice and Perspectives
Paris: UNESCO (2004), 283 pp.
Series: Education on the move
ISBN 92-3-103934-2
Other editions: also published in Spanish
"Traditional indigenous education and its structures should be respected and supported. Our knowledge has not been written down by us – on the contrary: we dance it, we draw it, we narrate it, we sing it, we practise it. There is a need for a deeper understanding of what knowledge and learning are and the many paths that lead to them. This is in line with what was observed by the Delors Commission: Western formal education systems tend to emphasize the acquisition of knowledge to the detriment of other types of learning (UNESCO, 1997). I believe that indigenous peoples can contribute significantly both to our own education systems and to the renewal of education systems of other peoples. We need to: establish effective arrangements for the participation of indigenous parents and community members in decisions regarding the planning, delivery and evaluation of education services for their children, young people and other community members; increase the number of indigenous people employed as education administrators, teachers, coaches, curriculum advisers, teachers assistants, home-school liaison officers and other education workers, including community people engaged in teaching indigenous culture, history and contemporary society, and indigenous languages; provide education and training services to develop the skills of indigenous people to participate in educational decision-making; develop arrangements for the provisions of independent advice from indigenous communities regarding educational decisions at all levels; and to achieve the participation of indigenous children, young people and adults in education for a period similar to that for other students." (Preface, page 7-8)
PART I. CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES IN INDIGENOUS EDUCATION
1 Indigenous peoples and education, 19
2 Legal and political context of indigenous education, 21
3 Perspectives for indigenous education, 24
4 General objectives of indigenous education, 27
PART II. CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF GOOD PRACTICE IN INDIGENOUS EDUCATION
1 Participation and decision-making, 31
2 Pedagogy and methodology, 33
3 Indigenous knowledge, 36
4 Curriculum, 38
5 Languages of instruction, 41
6 Teacher training, 45
7 Materials, 47
8 Assessment and evaluation, 49
PART III. CASE STUDIES CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF QUALITY EDUCATION FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 63
1 Botswana: The Bokamoso Pre-school Programme / Letloa and Bokamoso Programme, 65
2 Brazil: The Authorship Experience among Indigenous Peoples of the Brazilian Western Amazon / Nietta Lindenberg Monte, 83
3 Brazil: Pro-Yanomami Commission / Sarah Chapple-Sokol and Kate McDermott, 105
4 Cambodia: Highland Children's Education Project (HCEP), Ratanakiri Province / CARE International Cambodia, 113
5 Guatemala: Mobilizing Project in Support of Mayan Education / Katherine Grigsby, 123
6 India: Chakma Language Preservation Project / Suhas Chakma, 139
7 Malaysia: Snake and Ladder Project in Sabah / Jannie Lasimbang, PACOS TRUST, 145
8 Mexico: The Bilingual and Intercultural Telesecundaria 'Juan Francisco Lucas', of San Andres Yahuitlalpan, Zautla, Puebla / Ulises Márquez Nava, 160
9 Mexico: Training of Indigenous farmers to run community forestry enterprises / Rodolfo López Arzola, 177
10 New Zealand: Te Reo Putaiao Science Project / Janet Nairn, 187
11 Peru: 'The Ashaninka Creators': An experience from the perspective of indigenous education / Walter Heredia Martínez, 205
12 Peru: Revaluing and Using Herbal Medicine from the Andean Region / Noé Miguel Chávez Velázquez, 217
13 Russian Federation: The Russian Indigenous Training Centre (RITC) / RITC and INRIPP, 228
14 United States (Alaska): Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools and the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative / AKRSI and ANKN, 243
15 United States (Arizona): Leupp Navajo Immersion Project / Michael Fillerup, 263
16 United States: Intercultural Education Project / Sarah Chapple-Sokol and Kate McDermott, 276
1 Indigenous peoples and education, 19
2 Legal and political context of indigenous education, 21
3 Perspectives for indigenous education, 24
4 General objectives of indigenous education, 27
PART II. CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF GOOD PRACTICE IN INDIGENOUS EDUCATION
1 Participation and decision-making, 31
2 Pedagogy and methodology, 33
3 Indigenous knowledge, 36
4 Curriculum, 38
5 Languages of instruction, 41
6 Teacher training, 45
7 Materials, 47
8 Assessment and evaluation, 49
PART III. CASE STUDIES CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF QUALITY EDUCATION FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 63
1 Botswana: The Bokamoso Pre-school Programme / Letloa and Bokamoso Programme, 65
2 Brazil: The Authorship Experience among Indigenous Peoples of the Brazilian Western Amazon / Nietta Lindenberg Monte, 83
3 Brazil: Pro-Yanomami Commission / Sarah Chapple-Sokol and Kate McDermott, 105
4 Cambodia: Highland Children's Education Project (HCEP), Ratanakiri Province / CARE International Cambodia, 113
5 Guatemala: Mobilizing Project in Support of Mayan Education / Katherine Grigsby, 123
6 India: Chakma Language Preservation Project / Suhas Chakma, 139
7 Malaysia: Snake and Ladder Project in Sabah / Jannie Lasimbang, PACOS TRUST, 145
8 Mexico: The Bilingual and Intercultural Telesecundaria 'Juan Francisco Lucas', of San Andres Yahuitlalpan, Zautla, Puebla / Ulises Márquez Nava, 160
9 Mexico: Training of Indigenous farmers to run community forestry enterprises / Rodolfo López Arzola, 177
10 New Zealand: Te Reo Putaiao Science Project / Janet Nairn, 187
11 Peru: 'The Ashaninka Creators': An experience from the perspective of indigenous education / Walter Heredia Martínez, 205
12 Peru: Revaluing and Using Herbal Medicine from the Andean Region / Noé Miguel Chávez Velázquez, 217
13 Russian Federation: The Russian Indigenous Training Centre (RITC) / RITC and INRIPP, 228
14 United States (Alaska): Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools and the Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative / AKRSI and ANKN, 243
15 United States (Arizona): Leupp Navajo Immersion Project / Michael Fillerup, 263
16 United States: Intercultural Education Project / Sarah Chapple-Sokol and Kate McDermott, 276
