Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

A Newsletter Celebrating Native America

December 30, 2000 - Issue 26

School News

gathered by Vicki Lockard

The information here will include items of interest for and about Native American schools. If you have news to share, please let us know! I can be reached by emailing: Vlockard@aol.com

Cherokee Language Instructor Wins Award TAHLEQUAH -- Sherry Holcomb, who teaches Cherokee to seventh and eighth graders in Gore, has been named the Outstanding Teacher of Bilingual Education by the Oklahoma Association for Bilingual Education (OABE). OABE held their fall conference in Stillwater in November. Educators from across the state attended the conference that was packed with workshops for all disciplines. Other representatives from Gore Schools to be honored were: Joyce Rock, as the Title VII Director of the Year, and Teresa Gates, as the OABE Paraprofessional of the Year.

U of M Ojibwe Language Teacher Awarded By: Foster Stangel Dennis Jones, an Ojibwe instructor at the University of Minnesota’s American Indian Studies department, has received a Minneapolis Award for his contribution to the preservation of the Ojibwe language and culture. The awards are presented by the city of Minneapolis to individuals who have made significant contribution to enhancing livability in Minneapolis. Jones, a member of the Nicickousemene-caning First Nation in northwestern Ontario, has taught at the U of M since 1995. In that time, he has done much to raise interest in the Ojibwe language, making his classes among the most popular language classes at the university. Jones has initiated numerous outreach efforts to help preserve the Ojibwe language. He started the Ojibwe Language Society as well as Ojibwe language camps and programs in many communities. Many of his students now teach Ojibwe at colleges throughout the country. Despite his work and successes, Jones did not know he was up for an award. “Everybody was congratulating me and I said, ‘Is my wife pregnant?’ It’s an honor because it shows what the community thinks about you.”

Indian College Expanding to Omaha The Nebraska Indian Community College hopes to greatly boost its enrollment with the start of a branch in downtown Omaha. Wednesday, officials formally announced the January opening of the Omaha campus. It will be the fourth NICC campus. About 187 students are enrolled at branches in Macy, Santee and Sioux City, Iowa. "There's a large Native American population in Omaha and, though there are many services available in Omaha, there really isn't a Native American educational institution here," said Dr. Ross Primm, president of NICC. The two-year community college offers associate of arts and associate of science degrees. NICC, founded in 1972, primarily serves the Santee Sioux Nation and Omaha Nation tribes. Its headquarters are in Macy.

Canku Ota is a free Newsletter celebrating Native America, its traditions and accomplishments . We do not provide subscriber or visitor names to anyone. Some articles presented in Canku Ota may contain copyright material. We have received appropriate permissions for republishing any articles. Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have expressed an interest. This is in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.

Canku Ota is a copyright © 2000 of Vicki Lockard and Paul Barry.

The "Canku Ota - A Newsletter Celebrating Native America" web site and its design is the

Copyright © 1999, 2000 of Paul C. Barry.

All Rights Reserved.