Historical Note

Polingaysi Qöyawayma (1892–1990), whose English name is Elizabeth White, was an innovator in shaping American Indian education in the United States and preserving the cultural traditions of the Hopi Indians. As one of nine children in a traditional Hopi family, she was educated by missionaries and taught in schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). She was influential in Indian education because of her emphasis on the importance of basing education on the content and examples from the lives of students.

After having first been hidden by her mother to avoid attending the BIA school, in which the Hopi language could not be spoken and students were given English names, Polingaysi became curious and followed her sister to school. When she heard about an opportunity to attend school in “the land of the oranges,” she persevered until her parents reluctantly gave their permission. She rode in a wagon to Winslow, Arizona, and took the train to the Sherman Indian Institute in Riverside, California. She was there for 4 years without returning home. On her return, she attempted to become a missionary to the Hopis, but found neither success nor fulfillment because of the conflict with traditional Hopi beliefs.

Polingaysi then became a teacher in the BIA schools. Very soon, she became concerned because the teaching materials, illustrations, and photographs were not within the life experiences of Indian students. To provide a more realistic educational environment, she took the students into the natural surroundings and used Hopi legends, songs, and stories. Students translated these stories into English. Polingaysi’s goal was to blend the best of the Hopi culture with the best of white culture and to retain the essence of good from this blend. After initial skepticism, her supervisors began to support her teaching efforts. With the appointment of John Collier as commissioner of Indian affairs, Polingaysi found unexpected support for her teaching methods. She was chosen to demonstrate her teaching methods at a summer institute for BIA teachers. The focus was on starting the teaching/learning process by basing teachings on what students already know, rather than utilizing a totally new set of experiences. When teachers and students met on mutual ground, students tended to come out of their shells and become active learners. In her life as a teacher, Polingaysi learned to meet criticism with serenity and to appreciate the good in both the Hopi and non-Hopi ways of life.

Source: Reyhner, J. (1994). Polingaysi Qöyawayma. In M. S. Seller (Ed.), Women educators in the United States, 1820–1993 (pp. 397–402). Westport, CT: Greenwood.