Supporting Indigenous Cultural Grounding for Bicultural Navigation in the Higher Education Experience

• In Event: Solidarity of Difference: A Caring Discussion About Culture, Power, and New Traditions in Higher Education

Abstract

Objectives: For American Indian students the conflicts of navigating between traditional cultural systems and modern neoliberal influenced educational systems, can debilitate if the student is unable to navigate the dissonance that can occur in the divide. Emerging scholarship, such as in the recent work Beyond the Astrisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education (Shotton, Lowe & Waterman 2013) is example of emancipatory methods of student development that are helping practitioners in higher education better understand the complex nature of navigating a bicultural reality. The model of student development support that will be examined in presentation is the "medicine wheel" modality and objective understanding focuses on how in its central concept of striving for a balance for Native students, it subsequently assists in maintaining/developing a healthy and grounded identity propensity (Heavyrunner & Marshall 2003).
Theoretical Framework: In contemporary models of higher education there is growing need to support the identity development of a diverse student population. This presentation proposal seeks to expand upon a Critical Theory of Cultural Democracy (Darder 2011, 2012) by exploring qualitative narratives of American Indian experiences. In this examination the process of biculturalism will be looked to in understanding "the different ways in which bicultural human beings respond to cultural conflicts and the daily struggle with racism and other forms of cultural invasion" (p.20).
Methods: The medicine wheel model of assessing balance will be used to examine the physical properties of balance and grounded relationship to culture that in action becomes a liberating and emancipatory part of navigating hegemonic systems as part of a critical bicultural pedagogy. It will be through demonstrating how balance occurs when there exists a synergy between mental health, physical wellbeing, spiritual balance and intellectual growth; the four quadrants of the medicine wheel used to assess balance in the academic experience and reality of the student.
Data Sources: Data used in the culmination of this paper were derived from qualitative data gathered from student experiences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and from the experience of the researcher as a university administrator.
Results: The results of this work will be the demonstration of positive impact in a students heightened ability for navigation between diverse cultural and political systems through an intentional cultural grounding in an individuals identity development.
Scholarly Significance: The significance of the presented materials and works have bearing on current policy and practices for student engagement in higher education (Harper 2014). While examination will focus on problems and challenges specific to the invisibility of American Indians in institutions and governments (Fryberg & Stephens 2010), it is the hope that presentation will spur a critical theory examination on a larger scale. In understanding the transformative opportunity in education in a global world, diverse populations have propensity to impact social well-being amongst all populations.

Author

• Jamie M. Singson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign