Chapter 8: Some Thoughts on Passive Resistance to Learning

The education community knows that improvements can and must be made for the mathematics education of underrepresented groups. Native American schools, in particular, have struggled due to colonialism, racism, and the mistaken notion of members of the dominant society that Native people wish to be assimilated. In fact, sovereignty is a huge issue for Native people across the country; it is an especially sore point in our state, where a 1981 land claims settlement act clouded rather than clarified Native sovereignty. Mathematics education has learned a tremendous amount through the pioneering academic work done in ethnomathematics. We also know that so many others are doing the good work daily, impacting children’s lives, but never receive recognition beyond the walls of their classrooms. We are learning about the positive difference of a Culturally Appropriate Curriculum and finally, we are learning how to respect Native America. This is a preliminary paper that intends to open a discussion on the challenge of passive resistance to education in a Native American school in the eastern United States.