Native American, Gifted

Native American gifted students, also called American Indian and First Nations students, may be the most underserved of all gifted populations in the United States. They have a history that is shared with many colonialized, indigenous people like the Aboriginals or Koorie of Australia, or the peoples of the Pacific Island nations. These include invasion of their lands, disruption or destruction of lifeways and spiritual traditions; violation of women and conscription of men into military, agricultural, or menial work of the conquerors; kidnapping and forced reeducation of children into the dominant culture's ways; and decimation or extinction of populations through disease, starvation, and murder. Native Americans also have their own unique history of many migrations, rise and fall of cities and nations, and a population ...