Transition Paper of the National Indian Education Association: Outline of the National Education Agenda for American Indians/Alaskan Natives & Native Hawaiians for 2001.

Overview & Synopsis

This document outlines the educational programs and issues affecting American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students in early childhood, K-12, adult, and postsecondary education at the start of the 107th Congress (2001). The national American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian education agenda requires the formal acknowledgment by the next administration about federal responsibilities and commitments based on federal-Indian treaties; the government-to-government relationship between Indian Nations and the United States; and Congressional mandates for the education of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Under this acknowledgment, there are immediate needs to: reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, sustain basic needs of Indian schools funded through federal agencies, increase funding for repair and renovation of schools serving American Indians, ensure that Executive Orders remain in force, create a national blueprint on Indian education, explore new education strategies, elevate the director of the Department of Education's Office of Indian Education (OIE) to Assistant Secretary, reestablish the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, better coordinate federal-state-tribal educational partnerships, avoid block-granting of funds for certain Indian programs, provide adequate funding of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) programs, support Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikolani College in Hawaii, fund Native language revitalization programs, and involve tribal leaders in forming the national American Indian education agenda. Supplemental information lists all OIE programs identified for elimination, OIE programs being funded, Impact Aid programs, and BIA programs, and presents the National Indian Education Association's position on issues surrounding each one. (TD)