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WILLIAM B. SAXBE, Ohio
RALPH T. SMITH, Illinois

HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, JR., New Jersey GEORGE MURPHY, California
WALTER F. MONDALE, Minnesota
HAROLD E. HUGHES, Iowa

ADRIAN L. PARMETER, Professional Staff Member
LOUISE W. LUTKEFEDDER, Minority Staff Member

FOREWORD

An important portion of the work accomplished by the Senate Subcommittee on Indian Education has been in the area of field investigations and research reports.

These field studies were designed to provide in-depth perspectives of the problems the subcommittee uncovered, and to serve as a major supplement to the subcommittee's hearings.

This compilation of subcommittee field reports and research studies is printed as a committee document because the question of adequate schooling for Indian children has significance for the entire spectrum of Indian affairs-health, employment, and all others. Moreover, this material may be helpful to other public officials, concerned citizens, and scholars.

The subject is both timely and extremely critical. I hope that this background report will be of value and assistance.

RALPH YARBOROUGH, Chairman, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.

(III)

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

Hon. RALPH YARBOROUGH,

Chairman, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: In the survey of American Indian Education carried out by the Special Subcommittee on Indian Education, we attempted to set a pattern for hearings that would provide representative coverage of the problems in the geographical areas concerned. To supplement these hearings, the staff was instructed to make detailed field studies following a similar pattern. The field studies published herein-cover the following areas:

Southwest: Navajo Reservation, State of Arizona.
West: State of California.

Northwest: Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho.

North: State of Alaska.

Midwest: State of Minnesota.

East: State of New York; State of Maine.

Information contained in each of the reports was gathered from a number of sources and a variety of ways. In the case of each report except New York, personal visits were made by members of the subcommittee, or staff, to the particular area under consideration. These visits typically included four persons and lasted from 1 to 3 days, preceded by 4 to 7 days of preliminary field work. Their objective was to observe first hand the conditions of Indian education; to discuss with Indian leaders, Indian parents, and Indian students, their perceptions of the problems facing Indian education; and to solicit testimony and data from educational leaders and experts in mental health and other relevant fields. In short, the objective was to define the problem and to listen to suggestions for productive new approaches to improvement.

In addition to preparatory staff field work and subcommittee field visits, followup visits, conversations, and correspondence were used extensively for clarification and the gathering of new information. The existing body of research and descriptive literature constituted the third source of information.

The subcommittee has labored long and hard to determine exactly where the failures in the field of Indian education lie. Staff field studies were extremely helpful to the subcommittee members, and were considered fully during preparation of the subcommittee report.

Field reports in this print are being published as a service to the Congress, the executive agencies, the States, local subdivisions, teachers, administrators, students and scholars in the field. We hope the re

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