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Prior research suggests various reasons for the paucity of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people in engineering fields, including academic deficiencies, lack of role models, and minimal financial support to pursue a college education. One potential reason that has yet to be explored relates to the cultural and spiritual barriers that could deter AI/AN people from feeling a sense of belonging in engineering fields. These barriers may create obstacles to progressing through engineering career pathways. Our research investigates the range and variation of cultural/spiritual/ethical issues that may be affecting AI/AN people’s success in engineering and other science, technology, and mathematics fields. The work reported here focuses on findings from students and professionals in engineering fields specifically. The study seeks to answer two research questions: (1) What ethical issues do AI/AN students and professionals in engineering fields experience, and how do they navigate these issues?, and (2) Do ethical issues impede AI/AN students from pursuing engineering careers, and if so, how? We distributed an online survey to AI/AN college students (undergraduate and graduate) and professionals in STEM fields, including engineers, in the western United States region. Our results indicate strong connections to AI/AN culture by the participants in the study as well as some cultural, ethical, and/or spiritual barriers that exist for AI/AN individuals in the engineering field. The AI/AN professionals had less concerns with respect to activities that may conflict with AI/AN cultural customs compared to the students, which may be a result of the professionals having gained experiences that allow them to navigate these situations. Overall, our research offers insights for policy and practice within higher education institutions with engineering majors and/or graduate programs and organizations that employ engineering professionals. 

Nahat’á Saad Hast’eelyaa Bitsį Yishtłłisłizhii éí hajooba' íinízino Diné da’níłts’ą́ą́dee deiíkááhii k'é bijiníígo naanish dóó ólta’ haz’ą́ągi bee hółdzil haleeh nidi bee haz’ą́ąnii éí Bilagáánaa bizaad bee hadadilyaa azéé' ííł'į́ní dóó nida’ałkaahí béésh t'áábí nitsékeesí da bee nida’anishó Hoghan bił nahaz’ą́o tó hadaazlío, atsiniltł‘ish bee da’diltłI’o bíla' ashdla’ii diishjíįdi STEMM wolyéo yee da’ahótą’ – science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine éí wódahgo ólta bił nahaz'ą́ Bitsį’ Yishtłizhii k’ad t’óó ahayoi atah binaanish silį́į́’. Wódaho ólta’ nahaz’ą́ą́góó na’alkaah naaltsoos naaznilo bee nida’nitin dóó baa yáti’ éí STEMM bóhónéedzą́o áyósin. STEMM éí na’alkaah alááh binidii’a’o baa nitsáhákees áko Bitsįį́’ Yishłizhii na’alkaah niha’áłchíní haadeit’éégo honiitł‘ahoda éí baanáhát’į́įgo baa yáti’o bá hoo’aah díí southwestern United States, e’e’ááhgi kéyah ashdladiin hahoodzoh biyi’ kot’éégo nihił nahaz’ą́. Na’alkaah naanish ályaa éí díídi neeznádiin naaltsoos na’ídíkid hadeediilaa áádóó tádiin bíla’ ashdla’ii nidabídéékid. Díí na’ídíkido na’alkaah ályaaígí éí hazhó’ó néél’į́į́’o bee eehoozin: bitsį’ yishtłizhii da’ółta’íí áádóó k’ad nidaalnishíí éí Bitsį Yishtłizhii bibee’ó’ool’įįł siláagi áádóó dadílzingo baa nitsehakeesii áádóó doo ádaal’į́įnii éí k’ad kot’áo STEMM yaa yádaałti’o bee haz’ą́ąnii bik’eho hasht’eelnééh baa yáti’. STEMM na’alkaah biniyé na’ídíkid alyáá éí bila’ ashdla’ii nahasdzáán bich’į kónályaago naalkaah éí doo bił yá’ádaat’ééhda, áádóó bila’ashdla’ii bits’íís nanise’ bitł‘óól naalkaahdó bahasti’o dílzin, áádóó bitsį’ yishtłizhii bikéyáh bikáá’óó áldo’ hane’ bidadééti’, keyah łahgóó éí hodiyingo nahaz’ą́ baa hasti’ éí biniinaa ts’ídá bila ashdla’ii be’oodlą’ siláagi baa saad hólǫ́ nahalin, áko bilagáanaa bibeehaz’ą́ąnii hazho’ó nánél’į́į́ho éí bitsį’ yishtłizhii da’ółta’íí dóó nidaalnishíí éí díí naalkaah bee ‘ééhoozin. Áko wódaho ólta’I éí díígi ádahoot’éégo hait’éégo éí baa yati’ dóó naanish ádoolníłíí t’áá nanitł‘ah. Áko wódahgo ólta’ bił nahaz’ą́ą́góó ałtsé t’óó baa yá’áti’ bila’ ashdla ał’ą́ą́ át’éégo be’í’ool’į́į́l nidaazti’íí bee na’nitino éí binahjį’ beehaz’ą́ąnii hast’édoolnííł nídook’ąs, áádóó łahdóó éí nahaghá ádaalyaago éí t’áá saad bee haz’ą́ąnii t’áá ałtso bik’ésti’ bik’ehoi áhálnééh, doo hazho’ó baa nitséhaskéézo ahił nida’anish éí bééhózíní doolééł áádóó náás dah’náá’didooldaho baa nitséhakees dooleeł. 

Prior research suggests various reasons for the paucity of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people in engineering fields, including academic deficiencies, lack of role models, and minimal financial support to pursue a college education. One potential reason that has yet to be explored relates to the cultural and spiritual barriers that could deter AI/AN people from feeling a sense of belonging in engineering fields. These barriers may create obstacles to progressing through engineering career pathways. Our research investigates the range and variation of cultural/spiritual/ethical issues that may be affecting AI/AN people’s success in engineering and other science, technology, and mathematics fields. The work reported here focuses on findings from students and professionals in engineering fields specifically. The study seeks to answer two research questions: (1) What ethical issues do AI/AN students and professionals in engineering fields experience, and how do they navigate these issues?, and (2) Do ethical issues impede AI/AN students from pursuing engineering careers, and if so, how? We distributed an online survey to AI/AN college students (undergraduate and graduate) and professionals in STEM fields, including engineers, in the western United States region. Our results indicate strong connections to AI/AN culture by the participants in the study as well as some cultural, ethical, and/or spiritual barriers that exist for AI/AN individuals in the engineering field. The AI/AN professionals had less concerns with respect to activities that may conflict with AI/AN cultural customs compared to the students, which may be a result of the professionals having gained experiences that allow them to navigate these situations. Overall, our research offers insights for policy and practice within higher education institutions with engineering majors and/or graduate programs and organizations that employ engineering professionals