Narratives and Strategies for Promoting Indigenous Education

Empowering Teachers and Community in the Zuni Pueblo

Marjori Krebs, Cheryl A. Torrez

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781138480001
• eBook ISBN: 9781351064088
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This book describes the experiences of students, educators, and community members living in the Zuni Pueblo and working to integrate Indigenous language, culture, and history in in the Zuni Pueblo schools. Aimed at teacher education faculty seeking to work in collaborative relationships with Indigenous populations, this volume offers a first-hand account of the challenges and opportunities surrounding the preservation of Indigenous culture in pre-K-12 curriculum and instruction. Featuring a range of perspectives from within a tribal educational institution, this book demonstrates the possibilities for successful partnerships between Indigenous schools and Western systems of education.

Part 1
Hearing Our Voices

1 Supporting Successes of Students and Community Members

Stacy Panteah

Close your eyes and imagine yourself living in the early years of the 20th century on the Zuni Reservation, when there were no schools or teachers around and formal education was not part of everyday living. Zuni Pueblo, located in the beautiful mountains near the New Mexico state line and approximately 14 miles from the Arizona state line, lies a Native American community with strong cultural beliefs where the use of the Zuni language for formal teaching is done by carrying on the traditions through oral teaching without outside resources. Only the surroundings are used as a school or facility to teach. The basic skills of learning how to measure were used with hands or some type of instrument. For example, Zuni women would make bread using one of their hands as a measuring cup to determine how much flour was needed. There were no cookbooks to read or measuring cups to use.

Now imagine yourself in the 21st century, where education is a requirement and students and community members are being provided an opportunity to participate; where all forms of formal education are being offered. Education in our Zuni community has become an important aspect of our students’ daily lives, whether they are attending a pre-school class or are working on a doctoral degree with one of the universities. As Zuni tribal members, we are very fortunate to have a right to education that has been recognized by our tribal government.

Our elders before us didn’t have the educational opportunities that are offered in today’s world. I recall my grandfather telling me that he had to go to a boarding school when he was young, which was off the reservation. As the years went by, a Catholic school was introduced to the community, as well as a day school, and eventually the Zuni High School was opened. Although technology started evolving, it was not part of the schools in our community. So students did not have access to higher education at a community college, nor was technology available to them to take online courses.

Today, we have our own Zuni Public School District, which includes a high school, a middle school, and an elementary school. There are approximately 1,200 students attending those schools. Technology is available and used at each school site every day. In addition, our community now has a community college on the reservation. Courses from the University of New Mexico are offered at the campus. In comparison to what was available to my grandparents, my parents, and other elders as far as the educational opportunities, we are very fortunate to have it available now.

As one of the key support persons for Zuni: Engaging Teachers and Community (ZETAC) since the initial conception of this project, it definitely has been the most rewarding experience working with students, teachers, and community members. The initial goals of the project were to enhance the educational attainment of children in the Zuni Public School District by focusing on the continuing education, professional development and recruitment of teachers in Zuni. The services that ZETAC used to implement these goals have been unique because the core of the project involves learning about the Zuni culture and supporting Indigenous higher education in a rural community.

The tribe realized the need to establish its own school district, but there was still a need to hire certified teachers for those positions. Individuals who were non-Zuni, but certified, were usually hired to fill those positions. ZETAC has helped fill the need for Zuni educators in Zuni.

Since this was a new grant that was awarded to the Zuni Public School District and the University of New Mexico, the implementation had to start from scratch. By this, I mean that we had to create all the forms, brochures, flyers, etc., we needed for recruitment and documentation of a participant’s involvement. With input from Mr. Lewis, former superintendent of the Zuni Public School District and Dr. Krebs, with the University of New Mexico, I created a majority of the documents to be used for the program, including the scholarship guidelines. In addition to the documentation, we established partnerships with various tribal programs and food vendors to assist the project during our professional development training.

Of course, as expected during most events held in our community, there was always food involved. During our professional development trainings and institutes, we were always prepared to serve refreshments and lunch to our participants. This would have not happened without the dedication and commitment of our administrative assistants, Ms. E and M. Q. Their professionalism in providing the support needed as well taking care of all the logistics during the trainings is to be commended.

In the initial starting of the project, we had 70 individuals who were college students, teachers, and community members who participated in the professional development trainings we offered, as well those who were enrolled as students with the University of New Mexico at the Zuni Campus.

Over the course of the years, the need to retain teachers in the Zuni Public School District was becoming harder, as most out-of-state and non-Zuni teachers would stay a couple of years and then leave. The inconsistency of teachers staying in the district and leaving after being here only a couple of years was not a very positive thing for our students. To try to retain more teachers to stay with the Zuni Public School District, a grant was written by Mr. Lewis in collaboration with Dr. Krebs from the University of New Mexico to try and address how to sustain teachers in the community, especially our own Zuni individuals.

ZETAC offered professional development workshops for teachers on a number of various areas from classroom management to Zuni cultural activities to project-based learning. The majority of educational assistants in the district are Zuni tribal members. We encouraged them to enroll in educational degree programs so that each of them could earn a bachelor’s degree and move up to become a certified teacher. This included assisting them with scholarship funds and books and providing them the support needed, since a majority of these individuals were non-traditional students. By providing these educational assistants with this support, they were able to empower themselves to be successful candidates for an educational degree program.

Although the services and support were available, we had some problems recruiting Zuni tribal members who were educational assistants to commit to becoming students to earn degrees to become teachers. There were several issues that we faced when trying to recruit Zuni educational assistants to become teachers. They were afraid to start the application process since they were non-traditional students. They didn’t believe they had support at the administrative level at their school sites to provide them the time needed to attend classes. They did not want to become teachers because they were comfortable where they were as educational assistants. Also, many were afraid of change.

However, as time passed and the program was introduced into the community, more individuals became participants of ZETAC, and they enrolled in associate’s or bachelor’s degree programs with the University of New Mexico. There are a couple of participants who earned their Associate’s Degrees in Early Childhood and have moved on to completing their Bachelor’s Degree programs. There are also a couple of participants who have earned their Bachelor’s Degree and have successfully gained employment as teachers with the Zuni Public School District. Two individuals successfully completed the Master’s program with the support of ZETAC. Currently, there are two individuals who are also in the process of obtaining their doctoral degrees. These are Zuni tribal members and are employees of the Zuni Public School District.

Although we had a steady number of students enrolling in educational degree programs, the administrative support from the school district slowly faded. With the change in administration in 2016, the support to complete the student teaching internship requirement was diminishing and served to discourage those who were trying to complete that portion of their programs.

Having to work closely with students and being able to monitor their grades gave me the opportunity to help the students with issues that arose. For example, as part of the ZETAC scholarship guidelines, students were required to submit their midterm grades. This requirement is in place so that if a student was failing a certain class, I was able to intervene and redirect them to a tutor or other resources they needed to improve their grades. This allowed them to maintain their GPA when final grades came out. Often students whose grades did not meet the criteria of the scholarship award were afraid to report their grades for fear of being dropped from the project. However, when we explained and provided them the support they needed, they understood the importance of meeting the scholarship guidelines thus encouraged them to accept the support being offered to improve their grades.

Another integral part of the project was the professional development training that was offered to teachers, educational assistants, and community members. The workshops covered a wide variety of topics but always included information about Zuni culture and traditions. Project-Based Learning training was and still is a major topic for those who have attended the sessions planned during the spring and summer sessions. A prime example of a successful project-based learning topic is a geology class that is taught at Zuni High School. The teacher incorporated the teaching of fetish carving as an opportunity for sustainable self-employment for his high school students. They learned this skill while learning about the different types of rocks. He requested assistance from a community member to teach the students how to carve the unique formations of a rock with the outcome of many beautiful fetish carvings.

One area of professional development that was always offered for non-natives was teaching of the Zuni culture. In our community, we expect non-native teachers to be culturally sensitive and know what the expectations are when living in our community. There are some non-native teachers who come to our community not knowing or understanding our culture or beliefs, therefore leaving them frustrated and having them leave with the misconception that Zuni is not a friendly place to live. Therefore, by having expectations of these teachers to know about our culture, the best way to share information with them was through some of the professional development training we had.

A prime example of sharing this information with them was the A:shiwi Core Values. These core values are taught in the home, in the community, and in the schools. We believe and follow these A:shiwi Core Values that are taught and carried on from one generation to the next. The A:shiwi believe that:

1. (1) Hon ansammo le’na a:dek’yanna.
   1. We will live accordingly.
2. (2) Hon i:yayyulashshik’yana:wa.
   1. We will respect one another.
3. (3) Hon ko’hol lewuna:wediyahnan, wan hon i:tse’manna.
   1. We will think before we act and consider the consequences.
4. (4) Hon i:yansatduna:wa.
   1. We will help one another.
5. (5) Hon i:yanbeye:na:wa.
   1. We will give advice and counsel one another.
6. (6) Hon i:yayyumola a:dek’yanna.
   1. We will be honest and trust one another.
7. (7) Hon i:wichemana:wa.
   1. We will love one another.
8. (8) Hon dewulashshi’ iwillaba’ a:dek’yanna.
   1. We will be kind and generous to one another.
9. (9) Hon i:yanhadiya:na:wa, hon i:yayyu’hadiyahk’yana:wa.
   1. We will listen and pay attention to one another.
10. (10) Hon delanko’ha:willi:wa.
    1. Be empathetic to one another.
11. (11) Ihadiya:wa.
    1. Listen.
12. (12) Don dehwan illaba.
    1. It is your turn.
13. (12) Hom dehwan ukna:we.
    1. It is my turn.

These core values are important to carry on and we as Zuni people will not be able to sustain our culture without them.

Being a part of a project such as this has been quite rewarding, although there may have been a few challenges. Technology today has had a major impact on how education is now being taught in our community as well as how it is being utilized by our ZETAC participants to earn their degree.

Based on all the activities that we have had with this grant and the ZETAC program, I’ve come to realize that education is vital for survival in any community, whether it is on a Native American reservation or in an urban area. I feel that in today’s society, one cannot set any high standards for a career unless one has completed a degree program. I myself have an Associate’s Degree in Accounting, but I am not able to be a certified public account until I complete a bachelor’s program. So that limits my opportunities for any chance of becoming a CPA.

We have several students who are pursuing their educational degrees. Without a teacher, they cannot meet the standards set by the state of New Mexico and our Zuni Public School District to become a teacher. One student in particular who has been on the program from the start has just graduated and earned his bachelor’s degree to become a teacher. He is Native American and lives in the community. We need more individuals who are Zuni who live in the community to become certified teachers. This will give our children the sustainability they need for a continuous education from the same teachers because the current trend right now is that non-native teachers are being hired and only stay for a couple of years and then leave. This isn’t good for our children. Continuity of teaching needs to be by the same individuals who will stay in the community.

Education in the 21st century in comparison to the early 20th century in our Zuni community has changed tremendously. With the increase use of technology and other available resources, anyone in our community can be empowered to become a successful individual by earning that degree to become a teacher or work in another professional field. With the support from the University of New Mexico, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Zuni community, it is an honor to work with this project and see the positive results that have impacted our community and the teaching of our students.

2 Is Teaching PK-3 a Good Fit for Me? Challenges Abound

Shalay Bowannie

I am the third child out of four. I have one brother, an older sister, and a little sister. I live in Zuni, New Mexico, and I have lived here all my life, apart from the six years I lived in Albuquerque. I grew up with a large family, with both immediate and extended members. There was no such thing as second or third cousins, great-aunts or great-uncles, or grandma’s sister or brother. We are a cousin, auntie, uncle, grandma, or grandpa, simple and straight to the point. From time to time, we would go over to my wowo’s (parental grandmother’s) house and play there with our younger cousins or go to my auntie’s house to play with our other cousin there. At family gatherings, especially as I got older, I felt out of place. While the majority of my family spoke Zuni, I didn’t. I felt a bit embarrassed for not knowing or understanding very little at the time. Out of the four of us, my baba (older brother) spoke the language fluently, while my sisters and I could only understand bits and pieces of our sacred words spoken from the tongues of our elders. I did not realize how important and what big of a role the Zuni language played in our survival because our language is the backbone of our people and thus vital to our existence.

Being involved in my Zuni religion is important to me. My dad grew up traditional Zuni, knowing and participating in the religious part of it. He joined the military after high school, and when he came back, his beliefs in Zuni were gone. My dad’s views of the religion changed, and no longer did he participate in any sacred ceremonies. My family has blamed the military for the reason why my dad is the way he is. My mom, on the other hand, was brought up Catholic and Zuni, but mostly Catholic. She would tell us stories of her and her siblings being woken up to go to church and having to wait after church for their parents, because they were busy mingling. As my siblings and I were growing up, neither religion was pushed upon us. Instead we were given the choice of what religion we wanted to believe in. It was nice to know that we had a choice, but I felt that I didn’t need to choose because the Zuni religion is what we were surrounded by, thus making it a vital part of my life and something I was simply comfortable practicing.

I really enjoyed my elementary years, partly because the teachers made learning fun! I can’t remember doing work or taking tests while in school. I remember doing centers, reading in groups, singing songs at circle time, playing outside, and overall just being a kid. I did have a difficult time because I was shy and quiet, and kids took advantage of it. My older siblings were more outspoken, social, and were in sports. I, on the other hand, remained shy and quiet, all the way into my high school years. I never liked going to school after elementary and couldn’t wait until I finished high school. I was ready for a fresh start and ready to go off to school, where no one knew me.

After graduating high school, I moved to Albuquerque to go to school with my older sister for the fall semester. I attended the Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), originally majoring in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Services Management. At SIPI, I enjoyed the small classes, the one-on-one instruction, and the small campus. It was there where I learned to come out and not be so afraid to speak out; it helped to have my sister and cousin there to help. Although many people might say that S...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword: Strengthening and Maintaining Indigenous Culture: Integrating Zuni Language, Culture, and History in the Educational Systems Serving the Zuni Community
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• List of Contributors
• Zuni Mural Project
• Part 1 Hearing Our Voices
• Part 2 Working With and Within
• Part 3 Conclusion: Lessons Learned
• Index