Summer Close Out
Our Pow Wow and Ceremonial time has been in full effect and summer is closing out with great passion and revitalization of self. Our team is working diligently on their initiatives and efforts to set up the school year with direction and connection. We'll be revamping our webpage and adding a few more. The MONTANA ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR INDIAN EDUCATION (MACIE) page is almost complete and we are thinking of having a more specific Consultation and Youth RISE page improvements soon.
Our unit has worked with our OPI Title unit and worked to assist districts in their tribal consultation efforts going forward. Some of our Tribes and districts are setting plans together, sharing resources and pushing forward to support our youth. None of us would have jobs if it weren't for our students. Their support and their voice is essential to our work. Our consultation guidance document can be downloaded here.
We worked on the House Bill 287, Montana Indian Language Preservation (MILP), public comment for the bill meeting with folks and encouraging comment through our OPI website and email. Good things will come from this as we continue to work together to strengthen language revitalization effort.
We wish all the educators, families, and their students great success going into this new school year. We are strong and vigilant; taking lessons from the previous years and improving our relationships and focus going forward.
Youth Leadership
This summer has been spectacular for the TSARR’s youth team. We have made so many connections and relationships with people and youth across the state. We are now transitioning back into school and we couldn’t be more excited! During the 2023 Youth Conference in April we partnered with MAPS Media Institute to showcase the RISE conference through a promotional video of the conference. We will have the video ready to go this week so we can share throughout OPI and other state entities and schools to show what we do with tribal youth, knowledge keepers, and tribal leaders! This is a great start to the upcoming school year! We will begin our virtual RISE meeting the first week of September and I’m excited to see how much we
grow this year! We will continue to spread the love and resiliency of our tribal youth!
Tribal Student Achievement
The AISA team is working on implementing academic wraparound for students at Plenty Coups High School. 10 to 15 Students in the 11th and 12th grades will be engaged to develop wraparound plans. The academic success teacher will learn to utilize the principles of wraparound, motivational interviewing, and assisting students to cultivate a support network around their own identified academic needs. The AISA specialist will also begin working on community Discoveries in several communities identified to engage school communities in identifying their strengths, needs, culture, and resources around supporting academic achievement for American Indian students from their own perspective. The 2023-24 academic year promises to full of discoveries for this work!
Language and Culture
August has been filled with team meetings to update our Standards for World Languages and English Language Learners. We’ve worked hard to help advocate for indigenous language learner models and voices. We had a chance to visit some youth at a Math camp in Bozeman and some educators in Missoula looking to include more Indian Ed for All in their lessons (thank you Mike Jetty!)
We’ve also been working on the update to the House Bill 287 regarding the Montana Indian Language Program. Following tribal consultation and public comment, we will be responding to the input before the process moves forward.
Speaking of the Montana Indian Language Program, the recipients of the grant have been working on developing material for language teaching as well as immersive experiences that students may have had the chance to engage in over the Summer!
As we welcome Wahpegiwi, or the Yellow Leaf Moon, September will hopefully be a welcome change for all, not just our hunting enthusiasts! With that in mind, we hope that you may help families in your community celebrate the numerous accomplishments that each student will encounter this next school year, both in and outside of the classroom.
We hope to make more in person connections with teachers and building leaders who are interested in including more aspects of culture in the halls and spaces of their buildings and with their youth! Look out for our RISE youth leaders call to assemble soon!
Please let us know if you’d like assistance with connecting with your local tribal language and culture leaders for visits or consultation!
Pinamaya!
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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