Beneath our sacred minds, hands and hearts: Stories of persistence and success among American Indian graduate and professional students.

摘要

Today, very few statistics and demographics are available on persistence and success rates for American Indian graduate and professional students. Only a few identifiable quantitative data studies exist. As for qualitative data, "No study, to date, has been published on the experiences of American Indian and Alaskan Native graduate and professional students (Buckley, 1997, pg.49)". In the current study an indigenous corn model based on well-being factors and personal narratives were employed to examine and identify graduate and professional school success and persistence factors.;This study's methods involved an in-depth qualitative analysis of persistence and success factors with 23 American Indian graduate students who recently attained their respective degrees. An electronic survey and short questionnaire were completed by participants representing 18 different tribal groups, and 19 institutions. Participants had varying levels of graduate degree completion, and different majors. Electronic surveys were completed from March 2008 through October 2008 and were designed to acquire participant demographic information, graduate school preparation, financial aid, academics, tribal ways of knowledge, and shared words of wisdom.;In addition, four participants submitted stories to provide an analysis of success and persistence factors. Participants identified the following salient issues: (a) Spiritual well-being as the most important success factor which focused on family, belief system, and giving back to the community; (b) mental well-being which included critical thinking, personal and career development, academic rigor, and leadership; (c) social well-being which was viewed as networking, mentorship, communication skills, and advanced literacy; and (d) physical well-being which incorporated hard work, endurance, and healthy lifestyle.;Recommendations from this study included the development of a national American Indian mentorship program, institutional follow-up with graduate students, graduate school preparation institutes, the establishment of a graduate school guidebook for American Indian students and the dissemination of personal histories as models for life. This pioneering study serves as a foundation in the development of an indigenous perspective as more research is needed to address the persistence and success factors of American Indian graduate and professional students.