American Indians/Alaska Natives
 

Education Issues Community Issues Demographics Publication: Focus on American Indian and Alaska Native Students

American Indians/Alaska Natives (AIANs) are the indigenous people of this land. While many native people have migrated to different locations, there is archeological evidence of inhabitants on the North American continent for over 10,000 years. Because of this AIANs have a strong attachment to place.

American Indians maintain a unique status as soverign nations within a nation due to the treaties signed with the U.S. government. The United States recognizes tribal rights as sovereign in Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution. Treaties guarantee tribes their lands and certain rights including hunting and fishing in usual and accustomed places and economic development on their lands. This also explains why a few tribes have established gaming casinos as one means of economic development.

There is tremendous diversity within the AIAN population. Though AIANs comprise 1 percent of the total U.S. population, they represent 50 percent of the nation's languages and cultures. There are 562 tribes in the United States. American Indian and Alaska Native languages and cultures exist nowhere else on the face of the Earth, and too many are in jeopardy of disappearing altogether. Policy and resources are needed to restore and preserve native languages and cultures.

Over 93 percent of AIAN students attend public schools. Less than 10 percent of AIAN students attend Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, which is a system of 184 schools spread over 23 states.

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