The Apple Indian

By JASON PENCE

Native Americans have faced many challenges throughout the past decades that, according to some Native Americans, continue to exist.

According to Candice Hubbard-Blackbird, a University of Great Falls employee in the Trio Center, some Native Americans do not want to be what is referred to as the “apple Indian”, an educated Indian.

Over the past 20 years she says, many Native Americans never graduated high school.

Due to the negative experiences most Native Americans faced at American boarding schools more then 70 years ago, many Native American students today lack the reinforcement from their parents to get an education says Blackbird-Hubbard.

The Indian students that decide to further their education in college face many additional challenges. According to Hubbard- Blackbird, many students that go to school on the reservation lack basic social skills.

Many of these students have been sheltered on their reservation, having limited to no interaction with other ethnicities said Hubbard-Blackbird.

Native Americans have the opportunity to attend tribal colleges which prepare them for larger school settings. Many of these students are also first-generation college students which makes parent involvement or support very difficult according to Hubbard-Blackbird.

Avis Rock, a Native American “non-traditional” student at the University of Great Falls, attended a tribal college before she transferred to UGF to complete her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

According to Rock, although tribal colleges offer a good education, they lack the social interaction with other ethnicities.

Many state and private colleges around the country do not have Native American students or professors she says.

If a Native American student leaves the reservation for college, they tend to get ridiculed by their friends and other Native Americans according to Hubbard-Blackbird.

She says Native Americans feel nervous when other Native Americans are educated.

Another struggle Rock faces on campus is the lack of other Native American students.

According to Rock, Native American students struggle with fitting in with the college atmosphere and making friends can be difficult.

During an interview with Hubbard-Blackbird, she said that “it would be nice for Native American students to stay at host families in the inner city to help socially prepare them for their college experience away from the reservation.”

According to the Office of Public Instruction of Montana, the dropout rates in the 08-09 school year for Native Americans was 8.8 % compared to the dropout rate for white students which was 2.9 %, and the statewide dropout rate of 3.6 %.