Schools struggle to integrate Indian ed into classrooms

Schools struggle to integrate Indian ed into classrooms

 

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By The Associated Press

HELENA - Joe Anderson's eyes get big when he talks about Indian Education for All.

A Helena High School English teacher and a member of the Blackfeet Tribe, Anderson has been teaching American Indian stories in his classroom for more than 30 years. As an Indian education coach for the district, he is helping other teachers integrate Indian culture into their classrooms and comply with a state law.

"The idea is not to somehow show Indian people in isolation, but to show them as part of the big circle of life," Anderson said.

Indian Education for All is a state law passed in 1999 that requires Montana schools to teach all students about the state's American Indian tribes and reservations. It expanded upon a 1972 provision in the Montana Constitution recognizing the cultural heritage of the state's Indian tribes and committing the state to educational goals designed to preserve their identity.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/10/10/news/state/40-indian-ed.txt