5. Objectives:
§ Provide Historical Overview of the
Somali Culture
§ Share Insights about the Heart of
the Somali Culture
§ Understand the Somali Experience
in Minnesota
§ Offer culturally sensitive strategies
to working with English language
learners in your classrooms.
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6. Somalia
l Pop: Approx. 10 million
l Located in Horn of Africa
l Government: Newly
formed Central
government
l Regional and local
governing bodies exist
and control various
regions of the country.
– Republic of Somaliland
– State of Puntland
7. Historical Overview:
¡ The Development of the Somali people dates back
to the 6th Century
¡ Intermix of indigenous Cushitic people and Arab/
Persians.
¡ Somali Culture is based on Pastoral Nomadism
¡ 1880s-1960 Colonial Presence in Somalia
¡ 1960 Somalia became independent Republic
¡ 1969-1991 Military Government
¡ 1991-Present—No Central Government
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24. Family Structure
¡ Historian
Charles Gesheter notes
when Somalis meet they don t ask
where are you from? —but rather
tol maad tahay (What is your
Lineage?) .
So genealogy is to Somalis what an
address is to Americans!
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25. Oral Language
¡ Somali people speak one language.
¡ Nation of poets----
¡ Oral language until 1972 when the
Somali language was first written
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26. The Somali Experience in Minnesota
¡ Displacement- forced leave, long
separations, post war trauma and culture
shock
¡ Mental Illness
¡ Language Barrier
¡ Role Changes -parent/child, male/
female, etc.
¡ Race/Ethnicity issues
¡ Post 9/11 backlash and concern for
personal safety
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27. Trauma and PTSD
¡ Refugee children often suffer from
severe post-trauma and stress
disorders, unlikely to learn well in
traditional school environment
¡ Trauma Exposure
¡ Post-settlement
¡ Discrimination
28. Different kind of education…
q Religious school (Koran or Dugsi)
q Formal schooling
q Informal learning and role modeling
(waano, wax sheeg, gabay, geeraar, iyo
sheeko)
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29. Who is responsible for educating the
young?
q Mothers are caretakers and educators
of the children.
q Fathers are breadwinners and
navigators of the outside realm, schools
included.
q Extended family members such as
aunts, uncles, grandparents, older
siblings, neighbors, and clan members.
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30. Culturally Responsive Teaching
Strategies
1. Involving the Parents
2. Communicating High Expectations
3. Involving and Valuing the First
Language and Culture
4. Examining The Effects of Cultural
Differences
5. Are Student-centred and
Constructivist
Adapted from: (Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching, 2006)
