Indigenous Roots Teacher Education
About

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Education and Human Sciences and its consortium partners Little Priest Tribal College and the Nebraska Department of Education have been awarded a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education. The Indigenous Roots Teacher Education Program (ROOTS) prepares American Indian paraprofessionals to become certified elementary education and bilingual teachers employed in Nebraska's reservation schools. The ROOTS program directly addresses Absolute Priority One - Pre-service Training for Teachers - and Competitive Preference Priority One.
ROOTS is a four-year program that will recruit and train a cohort of American Indian students living in or near Santee, Winnebago, Walthill, and Macy communities in Northeastern Nebraska to become teachers certified in Elementary Education (K-8) and ESL (K-12). After graduation, it is expected that these new teachers will return to their home communities to work as teachers. This program will significantly impact students attending Santee Community School, Winnebago Public School, Walthill Public School, and the Omaha Nation School by placing teachers with similar backgrounds into the educational setting, and by providing culturally-specific professional development activities for the fifteen pre-service students working in the four target school districts, thereby improving educational outcomes for typically at-risk students. The overall outcome of ROOTS will be stronger educational programs for American Indian students in the target communities and greater academic success for American Indian students overall.

Fifteen students will be selected to participate in the ROOTS program. Recommended by Little Priest Tribal College, other community education institutions, and by participating school districts and community members, program participants will enter the program with an A.A., A.S., or a post-baccalaureate degree. Training is offered at Little Priest Tribal College and at each participating school, utilizing distance and on-line services available through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It is anticipated that fifteen students will be certified as elementary education teachers. All will earn K-12 endorsements in English as a Second Language.

Culturally relevant program services (e.g., circles of advocates) will negotiate unanticipated concerns and ensure adequate progress toward degree completion. Qualified staff will supervise students' practicum and student teaching semesters to ensure quality program implementation and induction services and a community advisory council will oversee program management. Participants will develop and implement culturally relevant and bilingual K-12 learning materials and curriculum related to Omaha, Winnebago, and Santee Sioux history, culture and language; as part of the ESL endorsement they will take coursework in Umonhon, Ho-Chunk, and Dakota languages. Resources will be available through each school library to ensure that participants, cooperating teachers, and others have access to culturally relevant materials.

ROOTS student services include academic advising and on-site coordinators for the pre-service students (Years 1-3) and first year teachers (Induction Year 4). Incentives include small monthly stipends and up to 20 hours/week employment in participating schools. Students who have been selected to participate will sign a participant or pay-back agreement, should they not complete the program (for any reason), they will be required to pay back the U.S. Department of Education for the educational investment.

ROOTS is a consortium program that includes several partners - UNL's College of Education and Human Sciences, Little Priest Tribal College (LPTC), and the Nebraska Department of Education. Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC) is another academic partner. Students will be required to enroll at courses offered through LPTC or NICC in order to fulfill general education, pre-education, language, English, Math or PPST requirements.

The ROOTS program contributes to overall cultural change in Nebraska in several ways. IRTEP will lead to the creation of stronger educational programs for K-12 students in targeted communities and greater academic success for American Indian students overall. Program staff will network with an existing Career Ladder program to share learning experiences and develop strategies to facilitate ongoing opportunities for American Indian students to participate in NebraskaÍs teacher preparation programs.

About the title, INDIGENOUS ROOTS TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM: Overlooking the Missouri River in northeast Nebraska are the Santee, Winnebago, and Omaha Indian Reservations. The title and metaphor for this project are inspired by this dramatic landscape. Prior to European settlement, these bluffs were swept by fire, droughts and blizzards, but the ecosystem was resilient because of its native prairie grasses and scattered bur oaks. The key to survival for these plants was the extensive root system, which makes up over 90 percent of living prairie grass. Fires may kill the aboveground stem of a bur oak a hundred times, but the tree persists and regenerates from its ancient roots. A few pockets of these native ecosystems persist in Nebraska, and efforts are being made to restore them. The starting point for any effort to conserve and restore this landscape, however, must be its indigenous roots. To rebuild an enduring, resilient root system requires patience, hard work, and a deep understanding of native grasses and oaks. A resilient, productive K-12 education system for native people in northeast Nebraska reservation communities requires no less.