New York State Education Department Native American Education Unit Subject and Correspondence Files

Arranged into two subseries: 1. Title IV records, 2. Subject files

In 1972, the U. S. Congress passed the Indian Education Act, also known as Title IV of the Education Amendments of 1972, responding in part to a 1969 Senate subcommittee report on the substandard schooling of American Indian and Alaska Native students. The act established an Office of Indian Education within the United States Department of Education, and the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. Of particular interest to states was a collection of grant programs (parts A, B, and C of the Act) to state education agencies. Part A provided financial assistance to local education agencies for special programs serving Indian students enrolled in public school districts, as opposed to reservation schools. Part B provided funds for demonstration projects and pilot projects for Native American students in areas like special education, health and nutrition programs, and guidance. Part C provided funds for demonstration projects focused on the educational needs of adult Native Americans. The act required funded projects to be developed in cooperation with the American Indian population, including tribal leaders, parents, and students.

In January of 1974, the Native American Education Unit was created to consolidate programs and functions involving the education of Native Americans in New York State from numerous NYSED divisions and offices. Among other activities, the unit provides guidance to local school districts receiving federal Title IV and Johnson-O'Malley Act funds, allocates state aid programs to local school districts educating Native Americans residing on reservations, and administers the New York State Indian Aid program which provides financial aid for Native American students attending postsecondary schools.

This series consists of subject and correspondence files generated by the Native American Education Unit as part of its monitoring of educational programs in New York State. Included are curriculum proposals, lesson plans, budget files, contracts, reports, bulletins, and newsletters generated by the Unit, as well as by New York Indian schools, experts in Native American education, and the State Education Department. A significant portion of the records document the administration of Title IV of the Education Amendments of 1972, which mandated the establishment of educational programs designed to meet the needs of Indian students in the United States. These include correspondence with United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare personnel, applications for Title IV grants, and materials for workshops conducted by Native American Education Unit staff on developing curricula for Title IV projects.

In addition, the subject and correspondence files provide insight into enrollment figures for different Indian schools in New York (Tuscarora School, St. Regis-Mohawk School, Onondaga School, Salmon River Central School, Lafayette Central School, and reservation schools), and highlight issues affecting Native American education at both the state and national levels, such as the aforementioned Title IV, student financial aid, and Native Americans in higher education.

A0728 Series A0728, Johnson-O'Malley Act Project files, deals with another federally-funded program for Native American education

A0729 Series A0729, Research files for Regents Paper on Native American Education, deals with the setting of state policy

16414 Series 16414, Indian education tuition and transportation files

B1352 Series B1352, Indian student tuition files, contain files on financial reimbursement related to Indian education programs.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.