Hopi education: A look at the history, the present, and the future

Abstract

The dismal national statistics of academic achievement by Native American students in the Anglo-American educational system has long been a source of federal and academic concern. Studies and literature suggest that Native American culture and language highly influence academic achievement. This thesis investigates this influence by analyzing Hopi Indian experiences within the Anglo-American educational system to understand the larger processes of how federal Indian policy has impacted Indian people. Parents and teachers in Hopi Reservation schools were interviewed about their personal educational experiences and perceptions of present Hopi education. The interviews focused on the unique educational situation Hopi students are placed in as a result of their culture and language. The findings confirm the influential role of culture, yet it continues to be tragically undermined and overshadowed by how the bureaucratic processes of the educational system and institutions continue to operate in educating Hopi and other Indian children.