Assistant Professor Western Colorado University Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Short Description: When it comes to talent recognition and gifted identification, Native Americans have suffered invisibility for decades. In a recent study, 40 Catawba Tribe members discussed their talents and talent recognition–or lack thereof in schools–over an 80-year span. Learn their experiences and resulting recommendations for spotting talent in, and fostering a culturally responsive classroom for, Indigenous students today.
Learning Objectives:
Discover what talent recognition and related educational outcomes—or lack thereof—has looked like for members of one Native American tribe over eight decades.
Learn recommendations from the members of one Native American tribe to bring out indigenous students’ talents and cultural strengths in the classroom.
Learn what schools and teachers are now doing for students in this tribe and how to incorporate those strategies for a more culturally responsive classroom.
