State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said the upcoming North Dakota Indian Education Summit, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, will offer new support for tribal educators and information about strengthening instruction in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
About 200 educators have registered for the Summit, which is being held in the ground-floor west wing of the state Capitol on Thursday, July 18, and Friday, July 19. It will feature keynote addresses by Derrick Boles, who speaks on the importance of mental health, and RunningHorse Livingston, a consultant in culturally responsive teaching methods.
The Summit will feature 35 “breakout sessions” about effective school improvement practices, ways to support Indian educators, culturally relevant teaching presentations on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and INSTEM, an annual summer STEM instructional academy for Indian students at Valley City State University.
A session on encouraging youth storytelling is scheduled, and Shayla Davis, a member of the Superintendent’s Student Cabinet who is a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, is speaking about the importance of educational opportunities.
The Summit also showcases the progress of the North Dakota Native American Essential Understandings initiative, which Baesler began in 2015. It provides extensive information about the traditions, culture and history of North Dakota’s tribes, including a resource document for teachers and video interviews with tribal elders that are available for anyone to watch.
Baesler said the Summit has been helpful in carrying out the objectives of SB2304, a bill approved by the 2021 Legislature that requires schools to include Native American tribal history in elementary, middle school, and high school classes.
“We must be focused on the future. We must care for the success of all of our students, and these two days are devoted to learning ways to better meet the needs of 10 percent of our state’s student population.” Baesler said. “If their boats rise, all of our boats rise.”
The Summit is organized by a committee led by Lucy Fredericks, the Department of Public Instruction’s director of Indian and multicultural education.
“We’re excited. We believe we have a strong lineup of speakers and breakout sessions that will provide useful information to our educators,” Fredericks said.
The organizing committee includes Sashay Schettler, assistant NDDPI director of Indian and multicultural education; Cami Bauman, the IME office’s administrative staff officer, and Judy Gries, program administrator; Nick Asbury, NDDPI website communications specialist; Russ McDonald, president of United Tribes Technical College; Ray Talley, principal of Theodore Jamerson Elementary School, which is on the UTTC campus; Laura Forde, a program administrator for the State Historical Society of North Dakota; Marietta Kemmet, an administrative assistant for the state Indian Affairs Commission; and Donovan Lambert, cultural responsive coordinator with the Bismarck public schools.