Smoke Signals 5
APRIL 1,2013
Campbell testifies in support of education specialist
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
SALEM Grand Ronde Tribal
Education Manager April Campbell
testified before the Oregon House of
Representatives' Ways and Means
subcommittee on Tuesday, March
12, in support of creating an In
dian education specialist position
within the state Department of
Education.
The position has been a sought
after addition at the Department of
Education by Oregon's nine federally-recognized
Tribes since 2003 as
part of the Indian Education Plan,
which was developed by Oregon's
Tribes as a way to work with their
respective local school districts to
improve student achievement.
However, the great recession that
hit the state, as well as the nation,
starting in 2008 sidetracked the
effort over the last four years as
the Oregon Legislature dealt with
declining revenues and shrinking
employment in state government.
Now, with the economy starting
to rebound and tax revenues in
creasing, the chances of getting the
new position created and budgeted
for are improving, Umatilla Tribal
lobbyist Phil Donovan said recently
at the Tribal Governments Legisla
tive Day held at the state Capitol
on Feb. 20.
V
'
April Campbell
"We are
working on
getting a po
sition, which
is not nearly
enough but is a
starting point,
at the Depart
ment of Edu
cation to focus
on implement
ing the Indian
Education Plan," Donovan said.
Campbell testified with Sonya
Moody-Jurado representing the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz and
Armand Minthorn from the Confed
erated Tribes of the Umatilla.
"Today, I am serving as a spokes
person for the Tribal Government-to-Government
Education Cluster
in support of the Indian educa
tion specialist position," Campbell
said.
"Deputy Superintendent of Public
Instruction Rob Saxton has shared
with you the startling statistics
about dropout rates, achievement
gaps and alarming disproportion
ate discipline of our American In
dian and Alaska Native students.
Others have shared inequities in
Oregon's educational system as it
relates to underrepresented stu
dents. Oregon has an opportunity
to begin addressing these needs
by creating an Indian education
specialist position. This position is
essential to the success of our youth
and help Oregon become a model
for other states.
'The Indian education specialist
position will be devoted to Indian
education issues and will collabora
tively work with Oregon's nine fed
erally recognized Tribes to develop
initiatives which will preserve and
foster the teaching of indigenous
languages, create and implement
accurate and culturally responsive
curriculum, and develop effective
strategies for the education of
American Indian and Alaskan Na
tive students.
"Our people have passed their
knowledge, values and experiences to
others for generations - some refer to
this as 'Indian education.' This infor
mation is valued not only among our
people, but all Oregonians. One may
consider this 'Indian education' as a
process in which Tribes are given the
opportunity to provide input in class
rooms in a way which is inviting and
respectful to all youth. As a teacher,
Indian education reflects in the aca
demic performance of youth through
student outcome and achievement.
For administrators, this refers to
instructional approaches which
will enhance student readiness and
learning.
"Ultimately, the Indian education
specialist will identify, create and
implement strategies to address the
deficiencies currently in Oregon's
educational institutes, thus meet
ing the needs of American Indian
and Alaskan Native students. The
government-to-government cluster
continues to support the Indian
education specialist position and
is currently working on the Oregon
Indian Alaska Native state plan
to align its efforts with that of the
work being created by the Gover
nor's Office and other educational
agencies.
"As the plan unfolds we would
like to come back to this commit
tee to share the process and how
it relates specifically to the duties
Tribes envision for the Indian Edu
cation State Plan. As noted earlier,
the position itself is not a fix-all for
all inequities, but is a necessary
starting point."
The Education Cluster is com
prised of educational representa
tives from all nine Oregon Tribes,
the state Department of Educa
tion, Oregon community colleges
and Workforce Development, the
Oregon Teachers Standards and
Practices Commission, the Oregon
Student Assistance Commission
and the Oregon University Sys
tem. B
Tribe, Willamina renew
education agreement
By Paul Daquilante
Yamhill County News-Register
WILLAMINA - Angela Fasa
na, liaison between the Confeder
ated Tribes of Grand Ronde and
the Willamina School District,
told the school board on Tuesday,
March 12, that she thinks the
education agreement between
the two has helped them forge
a "great partnership." She said
other Tribes have used it as a
model in developing their own.
With that, the board voted to
renew the agreement for the
2013-14 school year.
Current district enrollment is
about 800. The Native American
component is 193, or almost 25
percent.
The agreement gives the Tribe
involvement in several depart
ments and programs offering
educational or preventive ser
vices, including pre-school, Head
Start, Chinuk Wawa immersion,
kindergarten language immer
sion, youth education, the main
K-12 curriculum, after-school
programs at the K-6, 7-8 and
9-12 levels, Native Club (middle
and high school), summer enrich
ment, credit recovery, youth lead
ership and culture presentation.
The agreement outlines a pro
cess to identify and address edu
cational needs for the purpose
of improving academic achieve
ment and success for Native
American students.
"Like Angie said, it's a great
relationship," said Willamina
Elementary School Principal
Carrie Zimbrick. 'The Tribe is
so supportive.
"Whenever the district has
written a grant through the
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund, it seems like we have got
ten it. The Tribe has supported
a lot of things we have done."
The Chinuk Wawa immer
sion program is a critical com
ponent. The Tribe provides a
staff member to instruct a high
school class in the Chinuk lan
guage, in addition to sponsoring
a blended kindergarten-first
grade immersion class.
"We fully want to support
the Tribe's effort to restore
their language," said Zimbrick,
whose youngest daughter flu
ently speaks Chinuk Wawa.
"The Tribe is on the right track.
They want to do it with the
youth because the language is
more easily absorbed at a young
age than at the adult age."
As part of the agreement, the
Tribe gives the district $20,000
each calendar year for items
that include, but are not limited
to, updating textbooks, enhanc
ing educational materials and
purchasing minor school equip
ment. B
This story appeared in the
March 15 Yamhill County
News-Register. It is reprinted
with permission.
Council OKs contract with Eugene
site for May General Council
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The May 5 General Council meet
ing will return to the Valley River
Inn in Eugene after Tribal Council
voted 6-0 to approve a contract with
the hotel on Wednesday, March 27.
In other action, Tribal Council also
approved the agenda for the Sunday,
April 7, General Council meeting
that will be held in the Tribal Com
munity Center in Grand Ronde.
The meeting will include a cul
tural presentation from Grand
Ronde Royalty, a report from the
Tribe's Education Committee and
a briefing from the new Land and
Culture Department. The meeting
starts at 11 a.m.
Tribal Council also approved
membership for four infants who
meet Tribal eligibility require
ments. Among authorizations to proceed
included in the March 27 Tribal
Council packet, Tribal Council
approved moving forward with a
constitutional amendment that
will ask Tribal voters to approve
term limits.
The proposed term limits would
limit Tribal Council members to
three consecutive three-year terms.
A Tribal Council member who hits
the limit would have to sit out a
year before running for council
again.
The amendment would not retro
actively count the terms of Tribal
members currently sitting on Tribal
Council.
Tribal Chairman Reyn Leno said
an election date is currently unde
termined since Tribal Council elec
tions are quickly approaching.
Another authorization to proceed
instructed the Grand Ronde Tribal
Housing Authority to commence
work on a 28-unit apartment com
plex in Grand Ronde and released
funds for the planning, design and
site work on the project.
A staff directive also moved pro
posed amendments to the Tribal
Ethical Standards Ordinance for
ward to the Legislative Action Com
mittee. The proposed amendments,
advertised in two Smoke Signals,
did not receive any comments from
Tribal members. B
Clean Eating Forum set
The Tribe's Nutrition Department will hold a Clean Eating Forum at
noon Monday, April 15, at the Elders' Activity Center.
The forum will be held the third Monday monthly as long as there is not
a conflict with other scheduling. The forum will give attendees a chance
to share recipes, learn tricks of the trade and enjoy a light snack and
refreshment that is clean.
At each meeting, goals will be set for the month.
The forum is open to anyone.
For more information, contact Tribal Food Services Coordinator Kristy
DeLoe at 503-879-2018. B