Navajo transition to higher education: Knowledge systems, cultural values, and educational policies

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the problems in school-to-college transitions for Native Americans, particularly the Navajo. Two possible explanations are given. First, the transition is affected primarily by characteristics of the community that are unrelated to minority or ethnic status, such as socioeconomic status, bilingual status, and rural location. Second, the transition is affected primarily by characteristics that are unique to the Navajo, reflected in their theology, cosmology, traditions, and culture. Literature on the Native American transition to higher education is summarized and contemporary educational practices are examined.