Power and Place: Indian Education in America

by Vine Deloria Jr.

Power and Place examines the issues facing Native American students as they progress through the schools, colleges, and on into professions. This collection of sixteen essays is at once philosophic, practical, and visionary. It is an effort to open discussion about the unique experience of Native Americans and offers a concise reference for administrators, educators, students and community leaders involved with Indian education.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Politics, Philosophy, Indigenous, Indigenous History, History

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2001

About the author

Vine Victor Deloria, Jr. was an American Indian author, theologian, historian, and activist. He was widely known for his book Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto (1969), which helped generate national attention to Native American issues in the same year as the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement. From 1964–1967, he had served as executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, increasing tribal membership from 19 to 156. Beginning in 1977, he was a board member of the National Museum of the American Indian, which now has buildings in both New York City and Washington, DC.

Deloria began his academic career in 1970 at Western Washington State College at Bellingham, Washington. He became Professor of Political Science at the University of Arizona (1978–1990), where he established the first master's degree program in American Indian Studies in the United States. After ten years at the University of Colorado, Boulder, he returned to Arizona and taught at the School of Law.

Reviews

[Sammy Torres]

Not just an important lesson on the insights of Indian education, but this volume likewise serves as an invaluable resource and challenge for educators and leaders from all traditions. Deloria and Wildcat propose that another way is indeed possible and that if we attempt to judge our present "progress" based on the past few centuries, we ought to seriously consider rethinking the very nature of education altogether. The discussions surrounding the metaphysics of American Indians versus the West is a compelling dialogue that sets the stage beautifully for implicating much of the contemporary dilemmas we see in education for both Native American and Western models of schooling.

[Tyra]

Glad I picked this back up! Some passages were assigned in an environment ethics course I took years ago and wanted to read all of it.

but I think this book shares an honest perspective that’s best highlighted (in my opinion) in chapters 3,8, and 10.
There’s obviously the primary focus on Indian education, but I think it’s also easy to take away, as an individual, that it’s possible to understand something by observing admirably and genuinely showing and having respect.

[Benita V. Proctor]

Very educational. Such a powerful book.

[Strick]

I wish I liked this more

[LeahBeth]

only read parts for school

[Noel]

Wow, an amazing book about the value and the concept of "Power & Place: Indian Education in America". It deserves a reread and thorough study. Written in essay chapter format, Wildcat and Deloria inform their views on "Indian education" in a philosophical, practical and visionary sense.

There is so much to process but at the same time, their arguments seem practical and urgent. Although somewhat dated, the message is relevant and needs to be a guide to activate change in "Indian" education. Despite being a book that is informed by the American Indian experience, the educational arguments advanced in this book, have been applied and sought by some First Nations here in Canada.

[Miranda Marquez]

Power and Place: Indian Education in America by Vine Deloria Jr. and Daniel Wildcat is a profound and thought-provoking exploration of Indigenous perspectives on education and the importance of cultural context. This book dives deep into how power and place influence learning, challenging conventional Western educational systems while offering meaningful insights into Indigenous ways of knowing. It’s a must-read for anyone passionate about education, cultural understanding, or social justice. The ideas presented here are as timely as ever, sparking important conversations about how we approach learning in a diverse world.

[Melodie]

just had to read this a second time in six month period, it clarifies my thoughts

[Ann Hite]

Important for educators.