CollegeBound Journey Insights

Career Clusters for Native American Students: A Pathway to Purpose

Career Clusters for Native American Students
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Finding a career path that aligns with personal passions and cultural identity is essential for Native American students. The CollegeBound Journey Career Cluster Guide is designed to help students explore career options that sustain, build, and empower Native communities. Based on the Advance CTE Career Clusters framework, this guide connects students with culturally relevant careers and college programs that honor Native traditions.

This career exploration tool is designed to connect students with career clusters that align with their skills, interests, and goals, ensuring they pursue meaningful professions that support Native sovereignty and well-being.

Why Career Clusters Matter for Native Students

Many traditional career guides do not reflect Native American cultural values or community-based career paths. The CollegeBound Journey Career Cluster Guide fills this gap by aligning career clusters with professions that:

✔ Sustain Native communities
✔ Preserve cultural traditions
✔ Empower Tribal economies
✔ Promote self-determination

From education and healthcare to environmental sustainability and Tribal governance, students can explore careers that honor their identity and serve their people.

How to Use the Pathways to Purpose Career Cluster Guide

The CollegeBound Journey’s Pathways to Purpose Career Cluster Guide is easy to use and designed for Native American students at any stage of career planning:

  1. Take the Career Cluster Assessment for Native American Students – Identify career clusters that match your skills and interests.
  2. Explore Subclusters – Each cluster contains specialized careers, such as Indigenous Health and Wellness, Native Language Education, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Research.
  3. Consider Careers that Support Native Communities – The guide highlights careers such as Tribal Governance Consultant, Cultural Event Planner, and Indigenous Social Media Creator.
  4. Find College Majors – Use the CollegeBound Journey platform’s College Program of Study Filter to discover Native-focused degree programs.
  5. Discover Culturally Supportive Colleges – Visit the CollegeBound Journey College Search to find schools that provide Native student support, Native faculty, and cultural programming.
The National Career Clusters® Framework
The National Career Clusters® Framework

Career Clusters Considerations for Native American Students

The CollegeBound Journey Career Cluster Guide includes career pathways that focus on Native specific careers.  Some examples within the guide include:

1. Caring for Communities: Education 

  • Cultural Immersion Program Director
  • Indigenous Language Educator
  • Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) Officer

2. Cultivating Resources: Energy & Natural Resources

  • Tribal Land Management
  • Indigenous Water Stewardship
  • Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Research

3. Caring for Communities: Healthcare & Human Services

  • Indigenous Health & Wellness Consultant
  • Tribal Behavioral Health Specialist
  • Traditional Healer

4. Investing in the Future: Financial Services

  • Tribal Economic Developer
  • Land Lease Specialist
  • Tribal Financial Officer

5. Arts, Media, & Cultural Preservation

  • Indigenous Filmmaker & Storyteller
  • Podcast Producer & Digital Content Creator
  • Regalia Designer

How to Access the Career Clusters Assessment & Pathways to Purpose Guide

✔ FREE for schools and organizations with a CollegeBound Journey bundled account
✔ Available for purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers

Support Native Youth Career Exploration Today!

CollegeBound Journey is addressing the shortcomings of conventional career planning for Native youth. Whether through our unique Career Cluster Assessment designed for Native American students or our Pathways to Purpose guide, we are dedicated to offering resources that empower Native youth and their support systems. Our culturally responsive tools help navigate the CollegeBound Journey effectively!

Seeking more support?  Contact us today.

As an experienced, Licensed School Counselor and Educational Consultant, Kerrie has a passion for creating programming and resources for Native youth success.  She is especially interested in developing and sharing resources that support Native American students towards college matriculation.

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