Toward culturally relevant instruction: a case study of a Pueblo-serving high school in New Mexico

ABSTRACT

The history of Indian education within public schools is deeply problematic. Power imbalances have led western education to enter Indigenous communities with their own agendas and without prior consultation with the people and communities. As a consequence, Indigenous scholars are moving to take control and reclaim ownership of the education of our children that occurs in our communities and public schools. This dissertation focuses on attitudes toward culturally relevant instruction/curriculum by asking the question, what is the landscape and current climate of culturally responsive schooling for Pueblo and American Indian students within Bernalillo High School and Bernalillo Public Schools in Bernalillo, New Mexico? Through a qualitative study, teachers, administrators, consultants and faculty were interviewed to gain their perspectives on culturally relevant instruction/curriculum. Through analysis of these interviews and focus group, it was found that participants were aware of culturally relevant instruction/curriculum and utilize it in some sense with their students. This study also looks at the current landscape of American Indian and Pueblo education in the state of New Mexico. Indigenous education has always been a part of the learning process for Pueblo people. With the coming of western education Pueblo people were forced to attend boarding schools as well as public schools causing assimilation. This study calls on culturally relevant instruction/curriculum as a way to provide a successful education for Pueblo students. This study looks at the need for culturally responsive schooling paradigms and practices for Indigenous students. It also looks at culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) as a way to help explore, shape and provide valuable theoretical tools for developing culturally relevant instruction/curriculum. The policy paper proposes that Bernalillo Public Schools (BPS) work with Pueblos to promote the delivery of the most appropriate education and services for Pueblo children.