A List
5/3/99

SLU PROF: PORTRAYAL OF NATIVES IN NOVELS PARALLELS SAD REALITY

CANTON - A St. Lawrence University professor gives some recent novels 
high marks for accurately portraying Native Americans' experiences in 
higher education. Unfortunately, the realism of the books makes it clear 
that college is a negative experience for most Native Americans.
	Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures and Coordinator of 
Native American Studies Peter vanLent presented a paper at the recent 
annual joint meetings of the Popular Culture Association and American Culture 
Association titled "The Image of Higher Education in American Indian Popular 
Literature." In it, he examines four novels, First Eagle, by Tony Hillerman; 
Louis Owen's Wolfsong; Joel Monture's Turtle Belly; and Agoak, by Quebec 
writer Yves Theriault.
	"Normally, I am wary of drawing too close a parallel between literary 
situations and real-life experience," vanLent says. "What makes the 'stuff' 
of good literature is very often not what we encounter in our everyday lives. 
In this case, however, literary fiction and social reality are closely aligned."
	The paper details the negative portrayals of Native American characters' 
college experiences from each book. "Drawing from statistical analysis as well 
as my 20 years of experience teaching and counseling Native American students," 
vanLent says, "I know that it is safe to say that reality collates with the 
negative image of higher education in American Indian popular literature."
	vanLent points out that Native Americans enroll in colleges and 
universities in small numbers, and even fewer succeed in graduating. "The primary 
reasons for this failure of our education system with Native people have been 
outlined in the novels," he says. "Social maladjustment, disinterested faculty, 
irrelevant curriculum, lack of a support network, alienation from personal 
heritage, racism, etc."
	The paper concludes by offering a number of suggestions for what colleges 
and universities can do to help Native Americans succeed. Among those vanLent lists:
	- Creating residence halls, wings or suites where Native Americans and 
others interested in Native heritage can form communities of support and secure 
"home bases."
	- Hiring Native American counselors to facilitate positive peer communication 
and organize tutoring programs.
	- Encouraging the development of Native Studies programs, working to include 
Indian components into existing courses and organizing Native cultural events to 
increase campus-wide awareness.

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