Need for Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction in Native American Communities

Abstract

Since the time of the European colonialism and Manifest Destiny, all Native American (NA) communities have experienced intergenerational historical trauma stemming from past and current events. The resulting effects of historical trauma on individuals, families, and communities pass from generation to generation, and are hypothesized to be the cause of contemporary social, health, and educational disparities in NA communities. The author first provides an overview of historical trauma and persistent social, health, and educational disparities in NA communities today. This is followed with an introduction to culturally responsive instruction and services, and how this should be applied to NA children and communities. To conclude the article, readers are provided a description and key components of a university personnel preparation project, designed to recruit, educate, and empower future NA and non-NA speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with coursework and experiences related to culturally responsive early literacy instruction and services, as well as resources and examples for current educators and professionals.