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| Experiencing Literacy In and Out of School: Case Studies of Two American Indian Youths | ||
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| Elizabeth
Noll University of New Mexico |
This case-study research focused on the role of multiple literacies in the lives of Lakota and Dakota (Sioux) young adolescents who lived and attended school in a predominately White, rural community in the upper Midwest. In addition to examining the participants’ uses of reading and writing, this study explored the ways in which the participants constructed meaning through music, dance, and art. Also studied was the influence of multiple cultures – American Indian culture, school culture, and mainstream popular culture – on the adolescents’ transactions with literacy. Data were collected both in and out of school over a period of 7 months. Primary collection techniques included participant observation and field notes; interviews with the participants and their parents, peers, teachers, and administrators; and examination of artifacts. The findings of this study indicate that literacy supported important personal and social needs in the lives of the adolescents. Specifically, through literacy, they explored and expressed their sense of identity and examined critical issues related to prejudice, racism, and discrimination. | |
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| JLR v. 30 no. 2 1998 pp. 205–232 |
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