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PONCAS AND COMMUNITY CONTROL

NCJ Number
48633
Journal
INTEGRATED EDUCATION Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: (JULY-AUGUST 1975) Pages: 32-36
Author(s)
C E HEERMAN
Date Published
1975
Length
5 pages
Annotation
INDIAN COMMUNITY CONTROL IN TERMS OF HOUSING, HEALTH, AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS IS COMPARED TO THE LOSS OF COMMUNITY CONTROL OVER EDUCATION AND THE POSSIBLE RELATION TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY.
Abstract
IT IS NOTED THAT SINCE 1950 WHEN THE PONCA INDIANS OF NORTHERN OKLAHOMA (WHITE EAGLE AND PONCA CITY) ELECTED THEIR FIRST TRIBAL COUNCIL, THEY HAVE MOVED DECISIVELY AGAINST PROBLEMS IN HOUSING, HEALTH, AND EMPLOYMENT, WITH A MEASURE OF SUCCESS. EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, CONTINUE TO ELUDE SOLUTIONS AND COMMUNITY CONTROL. UNTIL 1968, PONCA CHILDREN ATTENDED AN ALL-INDIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE WHITE EAGLE COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS CONTROLLED BY A NON-INDIAN SCHOOL BOARD. IN 1968, A VOTER DRIVE AMONG INDIANS WAS LAUNCHED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING AN INDIAN MEMBER OF THE WHITE EAGLE COMMUNITY TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. IT WAS BELIEVED THIS COULD LEAD TO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATION IN THE WHITE EAGLE SCHOOL. THE VOTER DRIVE WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE WHITE EAGLE SCHOOL WAS CLOSED AND THE PONCA CHILDREN IN THAT COMMUNITY WERE BUSED INTO PONCA CITY SCHOOLS. IT IS INDICATED THAT PONCA YOUTH HAVE ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES IN PONCA CITY AND IN THE SCHOOLS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN CITED AS CONTRIBUTING SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE INCREASE IN JUVENILE CRIME. STUDIES ARE QUOTED TO SHOW THAT PONCA YOUTH DO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM WITH A FREQUENCY SIGNIFICANTLY BEYOND THE NORM FOR THEIR NUMBERS IN THE COUNTY POPULATION. ALSO, REPORTS ARE CITED THAT LINK THIS DELINQUENCY PATTERN WITH EDUCATIONAL DEFICIENCIES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A THOROUGH STUDY BE MADE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PONCA YOUTHS' EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR, FROM WHOSE FINDINGS VARIOUS REMEDIAL PROGRAMS MAY BE DEVISED. IT WOULD BE EXPECTED THAT SUCH PROGRAMS WOULD DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PONCA CITY SCHOOLS AND THE ROLE OF THE PARENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE PONCA TRIBE REGARDING BOTH EDUCATION AND DELINQUENCY. DATA FROM MANY OF THE STUDIES CITED ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)