History Matters: United States Policy and Indigenous Early Childhood Intervention

Abstract

This article discusses the degree to which early childhood practitioners in the United States attend to cultural differences and social injustice in their pedagogy, with a particular reference to indigenous peoples. The article has three major sections. The first describes an indigenous perspective regarding ‘improvement’ and ‘quality’ with respect to early childhood programs. Included is a review of United States policy developments regarding indigenous peoples (including an examination of relevant aspects of the Bureau of Indian Affairs) and a discussion of the impact of those policies on indigenous families. The second section discusses the impact of contemporary early childhood policies and practices on indigenous communities. The third section is a review of the dominant research literature and theoretical beliefs.