Native Americans

According to the census from 2010, there are more than 2.5 million Native Americans living in the US. This number represents the combined people of 750 different tribal groups including Sioux, Chikasaw, Cherokee, Hopi and Navajo which each have their own cultural traditions and beliefs.

The ancestors of today’s Native Americans were the first to inhabit America. They are said to have crossed a land bridge from Siberia into what is now Alaska and then moved south across the land. When the European settlers arrived there may have been almost 90 million Native Americans across the US.

There is no denying the tragic injustice of what happened next with the vast majority of Native Americans wiped out through disease, war and slaughter. The rich lands were taken from the Native people and the survivors ‘relocated’ to reservations where the majority of Native Americans still live to this day.

While the names of old Native American leaders resonate down through the years, names Like Geronimo, Cochise, and Crazy Horse, there are many people of Native American origin in modern culture.

John Herrington is an example. As the first native American to walk in space, he carried with him the flag of the Chikasaw nation on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Another proud member of the Chikasaw Nation is Congressman Tom Cole. Currently serving his fifth term, Tom Cole was described by Time Magazine as, “...one of the sharpest minds in the house.”

Many familiar faces are of Native American descent including Elvis Presley, Val Kilmer and Johnny Depp but it is in people like environmental scientist Dr.  Jacquelyn Bolman that young Native Americans can find true inspiration.

As a Native American, Dr. Bolman draws on the ancient observations of her people to understand how the elements interact to bring harmony to nature while as an environmental scientist, she looks at the environment through the more quantifiable interactions that take place on a physical, chemical, and biological level. She is also a member of  SACNAS, a national non-profit society of scientists dedicated to advancing Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in science.

In the words of Dr. Russell Stands-Over-Bull, A geoscientist working in the petroleum industry and in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montano State University-Bozeman:

"Coming from an Indian school system, we’re not always prepared for college, where being Native American; you are truly in the minority. Although racial discrimination was not unusual at border towns along the reservation, I determined within myself to keep an open mind, and made a commitment within myself to look for the best in people. I used my experience to learn about others, and recognized that we are all part of the human tribe. .. Often the struggle is not about how smart you are, but how well you can cope with that change, and having persistence."

At Minority Passport, our aim is to assist people of all ethnic origins to achieve success through education and career choices.  As a Native American, you may have to overcome the added challenge of cultural intolerance and misunderstanding as well as the regular stresses of school life.

Nevertheless, there are opportunities out there and we are here to help you find and use them. Join the Minority Action forum to start building a network of supportive contacts right now and explore the information resources relating to education and careers on-site.