2
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS
STRESSED BY SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD
Superintendent Gunderson, Members of
the Student Council, student body,
distinguished guests, friends,- ladies
and gentlemen:
I am a former Chemawa student.
During the time that I attended this
school, we were taught subjects that
were then considered essential. Most
ly having to do with how to present
yourself in meeting with and working
with people. In addition to that we
were required to take only the related
.subjects. For example, a machinist
or a mechanic was required to take
mathematics and mechanical drawing
in addition to the required subjects.
Now, today as I stand before you,
there are many things going through my
mind. The Superintendent, the faculty
and all the employees work so hard
for the benefit of the students enrolled
here.
I would assume that in order to
effectively operate this school, you
must have an organizational structure,
one that tends to spread the responsi
bilities to various departments, for
closer supervision by that department,
and to enable that department to better
carry out their responsibilities with
the authority delegated to them, which
is always subject to review by the
immediate supervisor. And I would
also assume that the faculty, shop
instructors, and the counselors are
handicapped for various reasons. That
is they cannot do the quality of work
they would like to have done, if they
had the necessary funds and the facil
ities to do it with.
Now, I have outlined the organiza
tional structure that was in effect
during my time here. It allowed for
pin-pointing of responsibilities in the
chain of command. And I have also
mentioned the materials needs which
also existed then.
Now, so much for the primitive h is
tory. T pdayw e are faced with an
entirely different world - a competitive
world.
The curriculum of today’s
schools must be updated to meet the
present day needs.
During the next three days that we,
the members of the Advisory Board,
will be visiting with you, please feel
free to discuss with us the limiting
factors that you are facing on the day
to day operation of the school.
I am speaking of 36 years ago that
I attended this school. My heart is
with Chemawa and always will be. I
would like to see this,.school to be an
Accredited school - high school level.
And any other expansion and construc
tion needs should also be considered
by the Advisory Board.
In order that we come up with strong
recommendations, we will need your
cooperation.
I cannot promise any significant
results at this moment. Once started-,
it is half completed, but we are speak
ing of the most important asset that we
have - you.-
We cannot stop now.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Olney Patt, Jr.
Thank you, Mr. Moderator, faculty,
school staff, fellow board members,
and students of Chemawa.
Indeed, I feel very honored to be
selected as a member of the Chemawa
Advisory School Board, and sincerely
feel it a special privilege to serVe
with the other board members, school
staff, faculty, and you, the students.
So, during my term in this capacity as
board member, I will, with the other
members, to the best of my ability,
endeavor to help better your education
and the school of Chemawa, as a
whole.
Now with the few moments that I
have been allotted, to relay my mes
sage to you, and to relate the dire
need of a fine and commendable edu
cation by our Indian children of today
in this-our great nation, the United
States of America.
As you can all see, in this highly
competitive “ Space Age World” of
today, there is hardly any more room
in well-paid jobs and positions for the
high school dropout or the low-grade
average high school graduate.
So, with that in mind, I would like
to tell, or urge you, to do your level
best while going through high school
here at Chemawa. Because, with what
knowledge and education you will
leave with from here after your gradua
tion, will be the deciding factor for
your future livelihood and furthering
your education to compete for better
and higher paid positions.
I know, and we all know, by the law
of averages that all you students here
will not be able, or willing, to go on
to higher education.
So again, I would like to further
urge those of you that will come unde'r
this category, to at least try to keep
up on your school work assignments
and studies, so that when you do gra
duate from here, maybe with not a high
grade point but with an average grade
point.
Because, when you get put in this
world to assume your responsibilities
as a young adult and citizen, you will
find that even the vocational trades
will require from any and all applicants
a high school diploma with a good or
average grade point, then you might
be considered, at the same time, .you
will have to outdo the other appli
cants. And from then on, your educa
tion and knowledge will be tried and
tested time and again for promotions
and raises in pay.
But I guess as Indians, no matter
from where or what tribe we come from,
we all have the same thing in common.
With a few exceptions, this is the lack
of proper education and a need of real
soul-rending understanding from our
non-Indian neighbors. So you must,
as a student, learn and take in all you
can to educate yourselves completely,
so that you can help yourselves, one
another and mainly your people back
home. And strive, and keep on striv
ing to compete and out-do those non
understanding, non-Indian neighbors,
at their own game, with their own edu
cation for their man-made world, in
order,that we may survive and exist,a
little longer, like our ancestors d id .,
So, at this time, I will make a
request, that we all combine our ef
forts and give our undivided coopera
tion to each other so that we may
accomplish our goals and reach our
highest expectations for our children
and their education.
Now, in closing, I would sincerely
ask of you students, from our genera
tion to your generation, regardless of
how much education you consume,
please don’t let all this education
over-shadow or let you forget your
ancestors, heritage, cultures and tra
ditions, since time immemorial, and
remember always that we are the only
people in this country who can say
and prove these words about our an-
cestorial backgrounds - “ since time
immemorial” .
I thank all of you for your attention.
Leonard Tomaskin