The entire situation is a disgusting.
North Dakota has open enrollment, so there are a lot of buses from other schools on the rez each morning (which I find good for the students). The tribes runs the local school not the BIE, and I think that is much more common these days. We don't have any of the old BIA schools, and the most common boarding school in our area is a world of difference from the old government crap (it is now run by Native Americans and does wonders for troubled children).
On the note of the sad state of diversity initiatives, I recall a particular quote from a local restaurant owner: "If their last name has a verb or an animal in it I throw it in the trash"
Oh yeah, that place was a horrible place since it was half public (high school), half BIA (elementary). I am told they have improved, but it was not great when I went there. They finally got rid of the BIA.
Yeah, some of the "border" towns have some really, flat out racist people. The "safety inspections" on the first of the month positioned to stop all cars coming off the rez were some serious BS. Talk about hitting people when they are already down.
As for the boarding schools, SD still has the definite residential schools. My hometown has one, and it's depressing. Over the past decade they've; drawn national criticism for for fraudulent fund raising, forbid a Lakota ceremony from being performed at HS graduation while allowing a Christian prayer, moved away a priest after decades of hushed up rape accusations, and passed a state law making them unable to be sued by any past victims of abuse.
Other than military service, the other two are not exactly employers of number.
> generally not big on the Academic side, if that is possible to say..
Well, if you don't see a oppurtunity in one area, then you are logically going to put the effort in another area. Frankly, the American Military at least plays it straight and is a know equation.
The tribes have spent quite a lot of effort in bringing their educational institutions along, and the main instution for all most of the tribes is the community college which follows the same accreditation as its state brethren.
> the programs you allude to are fraught with difficulties, for all kinds of reasons.. not simple,
No, they are not. Apple could have reached out to some of the tribal schools like they did with other community colleges. One out the initial 30 is not too much to ask. Google could have internally told the bean counters, No - we will not block a tribal community college. The PC company could have listened to reason and found we were are worthy as other accredited institutions. Heck, one friggin company clued in enough to tell the tribes, "Hey, we employ X number of your enrolled members".
I am happy to listen to the "all kinds of reasons", but when the institution does the full accrediation, vocational learning, NGO grants, state grants, and federal grants: its really hard to argue a lack of ability to execute on programs from a company.
> and certainly not solved by urgent, well-meaning people..
This is the fun copout that we often here. Its poor reasoning when all we want is a chance to be on the field. I'll take well-meaning over being ignored.
I took the first paragraph charitably, but I get the feeling others might not