Modern American society is best defined by its education. The “American Dream” is based on going to school, getting a good job, and becoming successful. Ironically, the indigenous people of this country are actually the least likely to achieve this dream. The biggest obstacle they face is the lack of proper education. Standard educational practices used to educate Native American peoples are not effective. This obstacle has many elements and many solutions. This can be corrected by having more culturally aware teachers and parents and teaching the general population more about Native American cultures. Many Native Americans do not earn a high school diploma. This makes it rather difficult to find an ideal and secure job. There are many things that cause this. One is simply the students’ families. On reservations, where alcoholism and gambling addiction are issues facing many families, the seriousness of finishing high school is sometimes not properly communicated to students or their parents. With this lack of communication, many Native American adolescents do not understand the consequences of dropping out of school. Another point is that many face family problems. “Native American families were less likely than other American families to be two-parent families: 64 percent versus 79 percent” (Thompson 21). Studies have shown that a problematic home environment is very detrimental to academic success. The student might be under a lot of stress, and school is stressful enough without the added stress of various family issues. Unfortunately, in addition to these already formidable difficulties, there is a serious cultural gap that must be taken into account. Many of the Euro-American values...... middle of paper ......th "noble savages". There is very little difference between the two that are at the heart of the problem, because they are human and don't all fit the same mold. This stereotype is also widespread in books aimed at younger children. Native American people are often depicted as a figure wearing animal skin robes, carrying a drum, and wearing a headdress. This is not representative of culture as a whole, and especially not modern Native American culture. A misconception that still exists today is that all Native Americans live in teepees, wear feathered headdresses, and are generally belligerent, when many things are untrue. This time, it's the teacher who must step in and learn more about their students. Works Cited Thompson, William N. “Native American Issues.” A reference manual. Problems of the contemporary world. ABC-CLIO, 1996. Santa Barbara, California.