“I think because of the racism that existed on the reservations we were continuously reminded that we were different. We internalized this idea that we were less than white kids, that we were not as capable, ” says Chris Meyer, part of Upward Bound’s inaugural group and the first Coeur d’Alene tribal member to receive a Ph.D.
Based on more than thirty interviews with students and staff, Teaching Native Pride employs both Native and non-Native voices to tell the story of the University of Idaho’s Upward Bound program. Their personal anecdotes and memories intertwine with accounts of the program’s inception and goals, as well as regional tribal history and Isabel Bond’s Idaho family history.
A federally sponsored program dedicated to helping low-income and at-risk students attend college, Upward Bound came to Moscow, Idaho, in 1969. Isabel Bond became director in the early 1970s and led the program there for more than three decades. Those who enrolled in the experimental initiative–part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty–were required to live within a 200-mile radius and be the first in their family to pursue a college degree. Living on the University of Idaho campus each summer, they received six weeks of intensive instruction.
Recognizing that most participants came from nearby Nez Perce and Coeur d’Alene communities, Bond and her teachers designed a curriculum that celebrated and incorporated their Native American heritage–one that offers insights for educators today. Many of the young people they taught overcame significant personal and academic challenges to earn college degrees. Native students broke cycles of poverty, isolation, and disenfranchisement that arose from a legacy of colonial conquest, and non-Indians gained a new respect for Idaho’s first peoples. Today, Upward Bounders serve as teachers, community leaders, entrepreneurs, and social workers, bringing positive change to future generations.
Table of Content
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Part I The Indian Program
1 – Getting on Board
A Sense of Belonging
Teaching at Upward Bound
Upward Reinforcement
2 – A Landscape of History
Rediscovering Tribal History and Pride
3 – Early Years at Upward Bound
Religious Divides
Cultural Cohesion
Focus on Academics
Living in Two Worlds
4 – Moving Forward
Understanding the Challenges
Crossing the Cultural Divide
Inspiration vs. Limitation
5 – Lola Clyde
Immortality through Teaching
The Great Depression
Lola Makes Her Mark
Uncle Gus
Lola’s Legacy
6 – Nez Perce Country Today
Upward Bound Bears Fruit
Cultural Reclamation
Isabel Remembers
7 – Upward Bound Comes of Age
Study Skills and Hands-on Learning
Fostering Student Engagement
Cultural Traditions in a Larger Conte
Creative Teaching Techniques
Expanding Student Horizons
8 – The Chief Joseph Trail
Road Trip into History
The Emissary
Planning and Packing
Tracing the Nez Perce Trail
Chief Joseph’s Dilemma
Switching Time Scales
Ghost Tipis
Regroup and Reflect
Happy Summer Memories
Part II
9 – Faith
Spiritual Diversity
Challenging the Historical Record
10 – Upriver
The Value of Cultural Freedom
Instilling Cultural Appreciation
11 – In Two Worlds
Cultural Crosscurrents
Non-Indian Acculturation
Mainstream Society through a Nez Perce Lens
12 – Expanding Influence
Return to Horse Culture
Lifting Upward Bound Staff
Planting Seeds of Possibility
Defying the Odds
13 – New Generation
Keep in Touch
Push, and Push Some More
14 – Chief Looking Glass Friendship Powwow
Bringing People Together
Epilogue
About the author
Tony Tekaroniake Evans is an enrolled Bear Clan member of the Kahnawake Mohawks of Quebec, and an award-winning journalist.
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