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April 7, 1997
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The Native American Club held its first election of club officers on March 20. Marion Mercier and Marty Branch of
the Education Division attend the club meetings once a month to discuss college and conference opportunities with
students. Pictured in back row: Ben Bishop and Erica Mercier. Center row: Manny Mercier, Rachel Towner, Brian
Krehbiel (Treasurer-elect), and Sol George (Sergeant at Arms-elect). Front row: Jason Greenlaw, Brianna Leno,
(President-elect), Brandy Leno (Secretary-elect), and Tara Leno. Not pictured is Joe Mercier (Vice President-elect).
Many adult education
opportunities available
HONORS and RECOGNITION DINNER: This event
is just a few months away and our program is trying to
identify GED graduates from Summer 1996 through June
1997. Let us know who you are so we can include you in
our plans. (We also accept this information from loving
friends and relatives.)
GED CLASSES: Local GED classes will be offered on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m., starting April 1
in Grand Ronde. Classes are cosponsorcd with Chemeketa
Community College and open to the community and tribal
members.
PORTLAND AREA SURVEY: The Education Divi
sion is still in the process of identifying tribal members in
the Portland area who would be interested in a Hard Sole
Moccasin demonstration and class, andor a Drum Making
class. We have heard from several tribal members, but need
a larger number of responses. If you are interested, please
call Gayla or Hollie at 1-800-422-0232, ext. 2275.
SITE VISITATION SCHEDULE:
Portland on April 15 from 1 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the CTGR
Tribal area office, 1 1 10 S.E. Alder St.
Salem on April 16 from 10 a.m. to noon at Chemeketa
Community College, 4000 Lancaster Dr.
Eugene on April 23, location and time to be announced.
Site visitation within the state is also available by request.
For more information call Gayla or Hollie at 1-800-422-0232,
ext. 2275.
WORK SCHEDULE: Gayla Tulensru, the Adult Edu
cation Coordinator, will now be working Monday through
Friday. The local Adult Education Program has always
had a drop-in policy for clients, and it is encouraged to stop
in if you are in the area. However, making an appointment
is still the best way to guarantee that adequate time will be
available for you. It also saves you, the client, the inconve
nience of missing Gayla if she is working off-site.
Making our Visions a Reality:
Strategies for 2000
The National Coalition for Indian Education (NCIE) and
the Tribal Education Contractor's Association (TEC A) is
sued their CALL TO CONFERENCE for the 2nd Annual
Joint Conference, "Making Our Visions a Reality: Strate
gies for 2000" which will be held in Seattle, Washington,
on April 30 through May 2, 1997. The agenda is being
finalized, but some of the workshops to be offered are:
Tribal and School Collaboration
Providing a Bridge to Help Make Higher Education a
Reality for Native People
Graduate Health Programs and Scholarships
Developing Strategies for Parent and Community
Involvement
Tobacco Use Prevention and Consumer Program
Carl Perkins Program
Tribes, Telecommunications and Education
Unique Educational Experience for Educators at
University of Arizona
Making Mathematics and Science Fun
Scholarships, Committees and Boards
National Indian Adult Education Forum
Native American Higher Education Forum
Exemplary Programs Traveling Circus and Road Show
National Indian Education Agenda
plus more workshops
The NCIETECA are planning a tour to the Puyallup
Tribe's River Boat Casino, Chief Leschi School, and pos
sible boat tour of the Seattle water front. Also, as a special
treat, the Cherokee Nation Adult Education Program rep
resentatives, Sandy Long and Beverly Sizemore, will con
duct a Cherokee Basket Making Seminar on Wednesday
evening.
For registration information call Bob Tom at (503) 390
9494. For agenda information call Dean Azule at 1-800-422-0232,
ext. 2276. See you in Seattle!
Minority scholarships
Applications have arrived for the UNDER REPRE
SENTED MINORITIES ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLAR
SHIPS 199798. American IndianAlaskan Native, Afri
can American, and Hispanic American college students who
are, or will be enrolled in an Oregon State System institu
tion in 199798 may qualify for a scholarship. The schol
arship will be granted to a selected group of undergraduate
students on a competitive basis. The deadline to apply
for this scholarship is May 1. For more information call
Marion Mercier at the Education Office at 879-2284.
Staff attends RETAIN
By Marion Mercier
RETAIN (Retention in Education for Today's American
Indian Nations), Conference was held in Tempe, Arizona
in February. Marty Branch and I attended the four day con
ference. The RETAIN Conferences are the beginning of a
national effort to address the retention issues of American
Indian and Native Alaskan students in higher education. The
overall focus of the conference is to identify and refine
methods and practices that are the most effective in helping
students successfully complete college. Conference par
ticipants represented community colleges, tribal colleges and
universities, Tribal education programs, parent committees,
tribal leaders, and most important, students from all sectors
of the United States and Canada.
The session forum allowed for dialogue, strategy shar
ing, solution processing, and formulating recommendations
regarding retention issues. Session topics included recruit
ment and tracking models; motivation and role models; in
stitutional support; academic intervention; culturally-based
curriculum; community-based programs; and others.
A recommendation that surfaced in several of the ses
sions was the need for tribes to recognize and encourage
student achievements as well as being supportive financially
Another recommendation that came out of the conference
is to have first year freshman students attend either a sum
mer bridge or college preparatory program, or at least at
tend a week long college orientation session.
The most often heard recommendation that came from
the students was for the college and university staff to be
come more culturally aware of and sensitive to issues of
Native American students.
I feel this conference was beneficial in that it was rein
forced that we are doing some things right with our pro
gram, and we were able to get new ideas on methods of
improving retention strategies. I left the conference with a
renewed sense of camaraderie with Indian educators from
all over this nation and also with the challenge of helping to
improve the future of today's Indian students in Higher Edu
cation. Another highlight of the conference was getting to meet
one of our Higher Education Program students, Marcee
Peterson, who attends Glcndale Community College in Glen
dale, Arizona. Marcee is a second year student and plans to
transfer to a four year institution next year.