In the article, “Sharing One Skin,” by Jeanette Armstrong, it is described that in order to be whole and living, we must always stay connected through our four capacities of self. We as beings have four selves, our physical self, emotional self, thinking-intellectual self, and spiritual self. First we have our physical self which is our “earth-body” and it is very sacred to us. We rely on interactions with our surroundings to survive, however when the individual life comes to an end, we join “the larger self.” Next is our emotional self which is the connection to our larger selves. This self is how we perceive things and how they resonate with us. Then, our thinking-intellectual self is “the spark that ignites,” or how and when something or someone helps us to recall a thought or memory. Lastly is our spiritual self which is the hardest to interpret, but it requires quiet to “activate” with the help of the other selves. It is incredibly important to always stay connected with our four capacities of self because, “we are keepers of Earth because we are Earth.” (Armstrong 466)

Armstrong, Jeanette. 1996 “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community.” Pp. 460-470 in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy, San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.

In the article “And Then I Went to School,” by Joe Suina, the struggles of going through early American education were so much more impactful than many believed. As spoken by Mr Suina, the introduction of American education was considered to be alien to the Native American children. The new ideas and concepts did not fit their lifestyles at all. This became a large problem for individuals because they started distancing themselves from their culture and who they were, due to embarrassment or they simply had no choice. However they couldn’t let the distance define them, Mr Suina didn’t. No matter the obstacles he faced, he came to the realization that in order to live his traditional life, he was going to have to adapt to the ways of the white man. 

Suina, Joseph. “‘And Then I Went to School’ Memories of a Pueblo Childhood,” Pp 1-6, Reprint with permission of the author from the New Mexico Journal of Reading, Winter 1985, Vol. V No. 2, “Rainbird” Illustrations.

In the article “How place names impact the way we see landscape,” by B. Toastie, it is very well emphasized that memories and stories are connected to our land. Additionally the term “place identity” was mentioned and described to be how a person relates to or perceives their surrounding environment. No matter your location, those relationships will always be present and may differ. As mentioned by Toastie, the stories are important in helping us understand ourselves and where we come from. However with the diversity of cultures, there may be conflict due to different perspectives. Throughout the history of Native Americans, it was always a two-sided story. This greatly comes into play with the origins of names for places or land, as mentioned in the article. Overall, without the stories tied to the land we cannot be “whole” and continue carrying who we are. 

Toastie, B. “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” High Country News: Know the West, 1 May 2022.

Native Americans were the original scientists who ultimately founded the world of STEM, however as time has progressed their representation quickly started to diminish. This idea of decreasing representation was heavily focused on in the interview, “Our First Scientists: The Power of Native American Representation in STEM Fields,” with guest Sarah EchoHawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and the Chief Executive Officer of AISES, and host Cynthia Connolly. Through the non-profit organization, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), which was established in 1977, has the goal to provide assistance and encourage the Native American youth to pursue studies in the STEM fields, as EchoHawk explained. The organization works to help students that range from Pre-K to post-graduate, striving to implement culturally informed curriculums, educate families about the importance of STEM, provide financial support, and assist with leadership development. With the aid of AISES there have been many success stories for example, Crystal Tully Cordova, a member of the Navajo Nation, is now the principal hydrologist for her community. However there were stories filled with hardships, like that of Dr. Sonia Ibarra, an individual who wanted to combine Western and Indigenous sciences in order to study sea otters and shellfish in Alaska. This was proven to be difficult because Indigenous sciences were seen as non-legitimate and no one wanted to support this aspect of her research. Conflicting ideas has been a great factor in the struggle and as said by EchoHawk, “ We have the solutions to our problems, we just don’t have the resources,” (25:07) really portrays this. In the end, we as Native Americans will continue to prosper and persevere, regardless of our setbacks.

The City Club of Cleveland. “Our First Scientists: The Power of Native American Representation in STEM Fields 2.10.2023.” Youtube, directed by Cynthia Connolly, 15 February 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdndJqdA3BU.

The underrepresentation of Native American in the STEM fields is finally starting to be recognized, which is why groups and organizations began creating programs to specifically face this issue. In the article, “Motivating Young Native American Students to Pursue STEM Learning Through a Culturally Relevant Science Program,” it is discussed that the iSTEM Project, funded by the National Science Foundation in 2012, is targeting young Native American students residing in Southern Arizona to encourage interest in the STEM fields. The program is doing so by combining two strategic approaches, in-school mentoring and out-of-school informal science education experiences. They focus on four themes - Energy and Environment, Health, Security, and Learning and Computation - and base their activities to relate to real-world application, Native American culture, and the context and geography of Southern Arizona. Overall, the project has had positive impacts on the targeted group by continuing to embrace the Native American knowledge and ways of life with the Western perspective. 

Stevens, Sally, et al. “Motivating Young Native American Students to Pursue STEM Learning Through a Culturally Relevant Science Program.” Journal of Science Education and Technology, Vol. 25, No. 6, Dec. 2016, Pp. 947+. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A714981336/AONE?u=nm_s_santafeis&sid=ebsco&xid=e7e518f2. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.

A law created for K-12 general education in the United States, the No Child Left Behind Act was incredibly controversial and only stayed around for a few years. In the article, "What is No Child Left Behind (NCLB)?" written by Andrew M.I. Lee, it was explained that the act, established in 2002, had several factors that created both pros and cons. The act was designed to focus on four key groups, being students in poverty, students of color, students receiving special education services, and students who speak and understand limited to no English. In order to reach this goal, annual testing, reporting, improvement targets, and penalties were put in place. Annual testing and penalties were seen as two of the most controversial factors of the act. Students were required to take the math and reading standardized tests annually from grades 3-8, however parents and others believed that there was too much focus on these tests, that the schools were "teaching to the test" (Lee). Penalties only applied to Title I schools, schools with many low-income students, and if they did not meet their adequate yearly progress (AYP), the state was allowed to change the school's leadership team (firing employees) or close the school altogether, which was seen as unreasonable. Through all the flaws, the act was replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015.

Lee, Andrew M.I. "What is No Child Left Behind (NCLB)?" Understood.org, Understood for All, Inc., https://www.understood.org/en/articles/no-child-left-behind-nclb-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed 26 October 2023.

Tools and resources are always needed to support inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs in underrepresented communities, especially throughout the Native American population. The United States Department of Commerce, more specifically the US Patent and Trademark Office and the Economic Development Administration, is making this possible as described in their article, “Increasing Representation of Native Americans in STEM and Innovation.” Two individuals were mentioned in the article and are both employees at the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). Tara Astigarraga, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a master designer at IBM and Michele Morningstar is the head of the diversity group at IBM, and both of these women share a passion for growing the presence of individuals coming from underrepresented backgrounds in the STEM fields. The US Department of Commerce has been taking big steps toward success and has created the American Rescue Plan which distributed $100 million in funding through the Indigenous Communities program. This has helped tribal governments to design and develop different projects, for example, the Standing Rock Renewable Energy Authority’s wind farm. With the right assistance and resources, Native American communities can thrive and provide for their homes.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and Economic Development Administration. “Increasing Representation of Native Americans in STEM and Innovation.” U.S. Department of Commerce, 23 November 2022, https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2022/11/increasing-representation-native-americans-stem-and-innovation. Accessed 20 November 2023.

In today’s world, there is a need to face the racial and gender disparities within the STEM fields, however, there is a large problem. Native Americans are almost always left out of the discussion, ultimately leaving them in the dark. In the article, “Building a STEM Pathway for Native Students,” written by Emelina Minero, it is explained how the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), a non-profit organization, is trying to give Native students the voice they deserve. Today education is struggling as an industry due to the fact that there is insufficient training being provided in the STEM fields, however, AISES is one of the many organizations and groups that are starting to offer STEM courses and camps, and computer science standards are being implemented in 22 states. Computer science is such an integral factor because these skills can be applied to any field of STEM. Additionally, this plays a part in culturally relevant STEM because this allows tribal members to work remotely and closer to home. Solutions will always come with their smaller problems, one being the history of colonialism for Native Americans. Due to history, many Native Americans are hesitant to allow outside organizations and groups into their communities because they want to protect themselves from any outside influences. Another problem is that many programs don’t observe and identify the areas in which kids are struggling, in addition to the lack of community-based projects that will enhance their cultural identity. The last identified problem is the fact that many teachers are already overwhelmed and overworked which will ultimately discourage them from “buying in” to any programs. As time goes on, the positive response to these solutions is starting to grow and Native American students are starting to receive the help they need.

Minero, Emelina. “Building a STEM Pathway for Native Students.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 10 January 2019, https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-stem-pathway-native-students/. Accessed 24 November 2023.

Giving back to the community has always been a huge necessity for Native Americans due to the fact that most communities are underdeveloped and in need of improvement. The video, “TCUP: A STEM Workforce for the Future,” produced by the National Science Foundation News, explains how after a visit made by the President of the United States to the Pine Ridge Reservation, solutions for high poverty needed to be sought. As a result of this, the National Science Foundation organized the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program which assists tribal members along their journey to graduate with STEM degrees and also to get jobs within their communities in offices such as water resources, fish and wildlife, etc. There are several challenges faced on reservations including inadequate housing, degraded ecosystems, and unreliable water sources and TCUP is hoping that its participants will seek solutions by combining Western science and traditional knowledge. One individual by the name of Cordell Ray Chee, a member of the Navajo Nation, has already made this step by developing sustainable solar homes. The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program also created a branch program, the PEAK Program, which assists individuals in pursuing engineering degrees and allows them to return home, apply their new knowledge and skills, and teach the upcoming generations. For example, Sandoval Begay, a biology major and a member of the Navajo Nation, created a voice-activated power wheelchair to create an easier life for his handicapped father. As it was said by a Crow elder, “Education is the only lasting means for ending poverty on reservations and among Indian people,” (11:30) displays one of our biggest challenges, but we are slowly working towards overcoming it.

National Science Foundation News. “TCUP: A STEM Workforce for the Future.” Youtube, 30 January 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKyZZ9uRvP0.

The report, “Diversity in STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities,” mandated by the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act and the National Science Foundation through the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) had the purpose to provide statistical information about three different groups. These three groups are women, minorities, and persons with disabilities who have all been historically underrepresented, especially in STEM. In 2021, women made up 51% of the United States population however they only accounted for 35% of the STEM workforce, and it was noted that they also had lower median earnings compared to men in science and engineering occupations. Underrepresented minorities, which includes Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, and American Indians, represented 31% of the United States population while only representing 24% of the STEM workforce. To bring this into perspective even more, Hispanics represent 15% of the STEM workforce, Asians represent 10%, African Americans represent 9%, and American Indians only represent less than 1%. Lastly, persons with disabilities only represented 9% of the United States population and only accounted for 3% of the STEM workforce. Though these numbers may not seem to be bright, it was shown that from 2011 to 2021, the STEM workforce has become more diversified with an increased representation of women and minorities.

National Science Foundation and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. “Diversity in STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023.” Diversity in STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities 2023 | NSF - National Science Foundation, National Science Foundation, 30 January 2023, https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23315/report. Accessed 29 January 2024.

Through the culmination of decades of discriminatory practices and stripping minority populations of access and exposure to the STEM fields, several issues have surfaced for the African American community. There is such a great lack of diversity within the STEM fields and African Americans have made it known that they have unequal access to quality education, recruitment opportunities, and promotion. In addition, they face the lack of encouragement from an early age to pursue careers and education within STEM. Two of the biggest issues are the lack of mentors and the way that modern school segregation and systemic inequality go hand-in-hand with each other. Many individuals struggle with confidence when it comes to fields within STEM because they do not see people like them in the big world, however there are role models from throughout history but they are rarely ever talked about like Emmett Chappelle, an American scientist known for his work with fluorescence in organisms. Without role models, it is almost impossible for individuals to succeed in certain areas. Systemic inequality has always been one of the biggest issues for any minority, however within the African American community it has been proven that there is a great difference in the amount of funding they receive for education. In 2016, it was reported that school districts predominantly serving students of color received $23 billion less in funding than other school districts. Although there are several challenges being faced, there are organizations that are trying to make a difference for their community. In Alabama the historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) work to prepare the highest number of African Americans for the STEM fields and they are recognized for top-performing STEM departments and programs. As time passes, the difference will become more apparent.

Sharman, Sarah. “Black History Month: Increasing diversity in STEM.” HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, 21 February 2023, https://www.hudsonalpha.org/black-history-month-increasing-diversity-in-stem/. Accessed 29 January 2024.

Michael Begay, a Navajo filmmaker, has made it his mission to get more Indigenous people behind the camera, to grow our representation. Mr Begay is slowly but surely making a name for himself through filming Native dance performances, TV shows, and movies around the world, for example he’s filmed in New Zealand, Paris, and many more. In addition to his films, he teaches film workshops because, “The only time when Indigenous people, we can rise, is when we know how to control our own story on the stage,” (0:48) as quoted by Begay. There has been an increase in the films and TV shows featuring Indigenous people like Reservation Dogs, but according to the 2023 Hollywood Diversity Report, Native actors only account for 0.6% and Indigenous writers, directors, and producers are almost nonexistent. Aaliyah Begay, a dancer and actress, stated “I grew up watching Disney Channel and I never seen anybody that looked like me” (1:16). As one of the only professional Native filmmakers in the Midwest, Begay emphasizes the importance of growing the Native American representation to educate audiences about our history and reverse stereotypes.

Minor, Jasmine. “Midwestern filmmaker aims to shine spotlight on community during Native American Heritage Month.” ABC7Chicago, Streamed by news channel ABC7, WLS-TV, 20 November 2023, https://abc7chicago.com/native-american-heritage-month-filmmakers-michael-begay-indigenous/14086147/. Accessed 29 January 2024.

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