Draws on the memoirs of Nellie Menard, Lakota archives, and other published materials to describe the traditional puberty ceremonies held for Lakota girls. Discusses the practice of seclusion, during which an elderly woman instructed the girl in appropriate behavior and women's crafts; the initiate's new social status; the ball-throwing ceremony;…

Folklore played an important part in the acculturation of Black Americans. Folksongs, worksongs, spirituals, and proverbs promoted racial solidarity, expressed thoughts, and served as educational and social tools. (DF)

Traces the history of the Harry Lasker Library at the Highlander Research and Education Center near Knoxville, Tennessee, from the first book donations in 1933 to its revitalization in the mid-1990s. Discusses the role of the library as a resource center supporting nonformal education for social activism and the contributions of librarians Hilda…

The foundations of the educational sporting heritage are examined in this collection of articles. The book is divided into two topical sections--Interscholastic Sport and Intercollegiate Sport. Both units are introduced by a study of a significant individual who was either a leader in or a reflector of sport in education, and are followed by…

This paper examines the history of midwifery in Appalachia. Throughout history, women in labor have been supported by other women. Midwives learned as apprentices, gaining skills and knowledge from older women. Eventually, formalized training for midwives was developed in Europe, but no professional training existed in the United States until…

Demonstrates how education can be studied through folk literature and humor, using Seba Smith's folk hero, Major Jack Downing. Illustrates a broadened conception of what constitutes education and contributes to education other than schooling. (Author/CK)

Discusses the sacred bond between the cedar and the Skokomish people and tribal efforts to protect the cedar through treaties and court litigation. Describes how disappearance of the cedar is adversely affecting traditional education practices and the survival of traditional culture and ceremonies. (SV)

Profiles four American Indians of Oklahoma who strove to preserve their languages and traditions and pass them on to future generations: Kiowa grandmother and educator Evalu Ware Russell, Cherokee minister Sam Hider, Kialegee (Muskogee Creek) elder James Wesley, and Choctaw leader Charley Jones. (SV)

Speculates on the traditional religion-based education and socialization of Anasazi youth, based on known practices of their Pueblo descendants and on archeological evidence concerning the design and functions of kivas. Discusses Anasazi/Pueblo practices in terms of educational objectives, curriculum, teaching methods, instructors, performance…

Reviewing educational and economic development efforts in Third World countries, the author concludes that vocational education is not the solution. A combination of nonformal education and technology training, with related literacy training, would be more effective in improving the quality of life. (SK)

An indigenous Peruvian sociologist of the Arakmbut people describes his educational experiences, including Harakmbut education for survival in the Peruvian rainforest, primary education in a village school with a national "Spanified" curriculum, scholarships that enabled an academic secondary and higher education outside the rainforest,…

Describes principal characteristics of traditional education in island societies before Western contact, patterns of Western exploration and colonization, and origins of formal Western education in the region. Identifies critical contemporary educational issues: choice of educational delivery systems, establishing the locus of authority,…

Portrays daily life in a pre-Columbian Mohawk village. Discusses women's central role in society and politics, the Iroquois clan network, governance, war and "adoption" of captives, longhouses, story telling, child rearing and education, the legend of the Peacemaker, and the importance of balance in all things. Contains photographs and…

Traces the history of nonformal education in Latin America since the 1920s, highlighting community-based programs, literacy education, vocational training, extension education, popular education, community schooling, and female-dominated social movements. Suggests citizenship education, the needs of indigenous populations, and urban youth…

By the early nineteenth century, religion and social necessity had driven literacy in western Europe and in the United States from an overall level below 20% to about 50% of all men in a little more than two centuries; women had benefited as well. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the state entered the business of education on a large…