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Over two and a half centuries after the Declaration of Independence which saw the birth of what is the current United States of America Native Americans are still marginalized when it comes to education and employment. Formal Education for Indians goes a long way back in the 1800s when Native American children were forced into the education system and integrated into the mainstream modern American way of life. The funding of education for Indian schools by the Federal government in many states has been very inconsistent, owing to the relations between the federal government and the Native American ethnic governments. According to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education annual report 2005-2006, Native American children perform weakly in arithmetic and reading subjects.

Among the key reasons to improve Native American education is to push for an increase in funding for institutions providing for Indian natives needs. According to Indian Country Today, HYPERLINK httpindian.senate.gov t _blankSenate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan supports the idea of a stand-alone Indian education bill, and so do many tribal leaders. On January 20, Rep. Betty McCollum introduced bipartisan legislation to address the lack of stimulus funding reaching Bureau of Indian Education schools in her state and across the country (Capriccioso, 2010).The Child Left behind Act of 2001 requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. . This act directly associates high level of education standards with federal funding.