Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

August 24 , 2002 - Issue 68

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

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced a three-year grant totaling $419,189 for the Oglala Lakota College's "Lakota Wicoiye Uwaske" ("Strengthening the Lakota Language") program.

"This funding will enable the nearly 40,000 Oglala Lakota to have a better understanding of their rich heritage, and develop the stronger family ties so important to the well-being of the entire community," Thompson said.

Oglala Lakota College (OLC) serves the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which encompasses 7,000 square miles. In surveys conducted in 1994, 2000 and 2002, OLC has documented an alarming rate of Lakota language loss among the 38,000 Oglala Lakota. While teaching the language in schools and at the college, OLC has been instrumental in the language preservation effort. However, the effort has been insufficient because there are not enough teachers and the language must be used in daily life to be retained.

Consequently, the college began implementing a Staff Lakota Language Acquisition Project, which provides incentives to staff to learn the language. While the project shows promise, funding is needed to refine the assessment process, develop incentive policies, train mentors and implement an extensive mentoring program. Additional initiatives will include training language coaches, developing protocols for immersion camps and developing a lending library of tapes, books, videos and other educational tools.

The grant is being awarded by the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), a division of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within HHS. The $420,000 will be allocated over three years.

"If we're serious about improving the quality of life among American Indians, we have to provide the resources necessary for them to sustain their sense of identity within their family
structures," Thompson said.

We're looking for a few good Native American teachers for our middle school.

We're Casa Blanca Middle School and we're located on the Gila River Indian Reservation- just south of Phoenix, Arizona. We have about 250 Native American students in grades 5-8.

Our starting salary is $30,000 with excellent benefits.

Please direct any interested qualified teachers to my direct line at 480-403-8587 or email me at gcameron@cbcschools.com

Thanks for your time.

Greg Cameron- CBMS recruiter

For more information, visit http://k12jobs.com/JobSearch/ShowJobPosted.cgi

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