Mary Jo Tippeconnic Fox

American Indian Women in Academia: The Joys and Challenges

This study explores the joys and challenges of being a professor based upon the personal experiences of 10 American Indian women in public Research I universities. Since the literature is sparse on the experiences of Native women in the academy, this study provides insight, especially to American Indian women aspiring to such careers, and for administrators and policy makers encouraging diversity on their campuses. The American Indian female professors in this study have both satisfying and challenging experiences at their universities. Not one of the women regrets her decision to pursue a career as a professor, but their journey is not easy. They enjoy academic freedom and autonomy; their research agendas, teaching, and working with students; the flexibility of the job; collegiality; support of mentors and colleagues; and service opportunities, especially with tribal communities. However, several of these Native women express feelings of isolation as the only person of color in their department, being tr...This study explores the joys and challenges of being a professor based upon the personal experiences of 10 American Indian women in public Research I universities. Since the literature is sparse on the experiences of Native women in the academy, this study provides insight, especially to American Indian women aspiring to such careers, and for administrators and policy makers encouraging diversity on their campuses. The American Indian female professors in this study have both satisfying and challenging experiences at their universities. Not one of the women regrets her decision to pursue a career as a professor, but their journey is not easy. They enjoy academic freedom and autonomy; their research agendas, teaching, and working with students; the flexibility of the job; collegiality; support of mentors and colleagues; and service opportunities, especially with tribal communities. However, several of these Native women express feelings of isolation as the only person of color in their department, being treated as “tokens,” feeling their research is undervalued, struggling to find mentors, trying to balance demands, having to go outside their departments for intellectual support, and experiencing racial/ ethnic and gender bias. The findings of this study demonstrate that further analysis of the experiences of American Indian female faculty in mainstream public Research I institutions is needed to underscore the advantages of this career path and to address the challenges voiced by the respondents.

American Indian Tribal Values: A Critical Consideration in the Education of American Indians/Alaska Natives Today.

The education of American Indians and Alaska Natives has increasingly become more complex given the differences in tribal languages and cultures, especially as changing demographics and issues of Indian identity are considered. There are over 200 languages and vast cultural differences between and within the 565 federally recognized tribes in Indian Country. Adding to the complexity are the various types of schools, colleges, and universities that are educating Native students. Many educational institutions are identifying tribal values as a way to provide an overall framework or as “guiding principles” to teaching, learning, research, and governance. This analysis will examine the literature on the use of tribal values, focus on a qualitative study of Comanche attributes, and discuss the implications for research and practice in education and American Indian Studies.The education of American Indians and Alaska Natives has increasingly become more complex given the differences in tribal languages and cultures, especially as changing demographics and issues of Indian identity are considered. There are over 200 languages and vast cultural differences between and within the 565 federally recognized tribes in Indian Country. Adding to the complexity are the various types of schools, colleges, and universities that are educating Native students. Many educational institutions are identifying tribal values as a way to provide an overall framework or as “guiding principles” to teaching, learning, research, and governance. This analysis will examine the literature on the use of tribal values, focus on a qualitative study of Comanche attributes, and discuss the implications for research and practice in education and American Indian Studies.

Shamanism: Piers Vitebsky; Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2001, 184 pages

Piers Vitebsky is repeatedly asked about Shamanism and Shamans, especially each time he returns from fieldwork in traditional Shamanic communities. Questions abound like: What are Shamans? What do ...