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The Office of Indian Education is hosting a Special Office Hours for Native American Heritage Month on November 14th from 4:00 - 5:15pm
Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity
Register for Zoom
This year’s theme for Native American Heritage Month from the Bureau of Indian Affairs impacts all of us in the work we do to support our Native students each and every day across Oregon. Celebrating and honoring Tribal Sovereignty is integral in the government to government relationship between the Oregon Department of Education and the nine federally recognized Tribes of Oregon, as well as in Tribal Consultation efforts between school districts and the Tribes in accordance to section 8538 of the ESEA. Furthermore, celebrating the unique cultural and linguistic diversity AI/AN students bring to the classroom, helps strengthen their confidence and increases their sense of belonging in schools.
In the Office of Indian Education, we desire every day to feel like Native American Heritage month. There are so many things our schools can do to make this a reality. Please find some of these items below -
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American Indian and Alaska Native Student Success Plan - Oregon passed the historic Student Success Act in May 2019, adding $1 billion in funding per year for Oregon schools and students. The Statewide Initiative Account receives up to 30% of those funds, which funds our Student Success Plans! Here are some practices districts and schools can do to support AI/AN+ students every day!
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Commit to Data Justice! Ensure your district has set up your Student Information Systems to identify who all of your students are in the diaspora of AI/AN. This includes, identifying who your students are who are both AI/AN and one or more races and/or students who are AI/AN and identify as Hispanic as well. This makes up your AI/AN+ number!
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Culturally Responsive Curriculum - Did you know that Senate Bill 13, passed unanimously in 2017, mandating all schools across Oregon to implement Tribal History, Shared History? To date, there are over 35 lesson plans in grades 4, 5, 8, and 10 available for educators to implement in their classrooms. Also, using the Essential Understandings of Native Americans in Oregon as a foundation for instructional planning, can help ensure that AI/AN history and contemporary context is not erased from instructional materials and methods in grades K-12. Also, schools now have access to Tribal Curriculum. Visit the website to learn more about the Klamath Curriculum for grades 1-3, 6th, and 11th grades, the Siletz curriculum for grades 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 11, the Grand Ronde Curriculum for grades K-12, and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians curriculum for grades 1-11. The gift of Tribal History Shared History will provide learning to all students about the rich history of our nine sovereign Tribes in Oregon. It is important to remember that Tribal history is Oregon history. Our current AI/AN Student Success plan is undergoing revision, informed by our AI/AN Advisory Committee, Oregon Tribal communities, as well as internal and external partner input. This plan will be encompassing 2025-2030, and OIE will be adapting our work to meet these updated objectives. Upon approval and completion, the new plan will be announced on our website and our newsletter.
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Trauma Informed Methods and Restorative Justice - Did you know that AI/AN+ students are over-disciplined at rates disproportionate to their non-AI/AN+ peers? Ensuring your district and your schools are responding to behavior using Trauma Informed methods and Restorative Justice wall to wall are essential to addressing the disproportionality, especially when these practices are also delivered in learning environments dedicated to increasing students’ sense of belonging. Professional development has been, and continues to be, developed to address and diminish these discipline disparities and improve student achievement. Professional Development is available for the benefit of our school administrators, teachers and staff. We are developing various platforms for delivery beyond face to face and will announce those opportunities when they are up and running.
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Tribal Attendance Promising Practices - Did you know that AI/AN students attend school disproportionately less than their non-AI/AN peers? TAPP is a grant provided to ten school districts to address this disparity. Our TAPP sites have learned that creating a sense of belonging for AI/AN+ students is critical to their success, as well as having educators and schools who not only understand the value of Native cultural representation in curriculum and throughout the school, but ensure it is present, have AI/AN+ students who are attending school at the highest rates across Oregon. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of what the most promising practices used at TAPP schools.
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Title VI Part A Indian Education Formula Grants - Title VI Part A is designed to 1.) Meet the unique cultural, language, and educational needs of Indian Education students, and 2.) Ensure that all students meet the challenging State academic standards. If your district has a formula grant OR is interested in applying for one, join our monthly community of practice for Title VI educators! Visit our Title VI website for more information!
Send us how your district is celebrating Native American Heritage month to jennifer.belle@ode.oregon.gov. We will feature your activities, events, and pictures in a special slidedeck highlighting your commitment to uplifting AI/AN culture
Greetings Partners,
Over the past year, April Campbell, our esteemed Assistant Superintendent in the Office of Indian Education, and Brent Spencer, Indian Education Specialist, have collaborated with the nine federally recognized Tribes of Oregon and numerous partners to update the Tribal Consultation toolkit. You can find the memo from Dr. Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education, here, on the exciting release of the toolkit on November 1.
In the Office of Indian Education, we believe that centering the experience of American Indian/Alaska Native+ students and ensuring they thrive is the spirit and purpose of Tribal Consultation. By honoring the educational sovereignty of the nine federally recognized Tribes of Oregon, school districts can then lead in a way that best serves AI/AN students.
The launch of the updated toolkit is also coming at a great time. All school districts in Oregon are in year 1 of the implementation of their respective Integrated Guidance Plans. This state plan also requires Tribal Consultation in its development and approval from Tribes. With the launch of the updated toolkit, we encourage all affected school districts and consortiums to evaluate their Tribal Consultation practices and commit to implementing practices that align to the heart and spirit of Tribal Consultation.
Please take some time to read the new Tribal Consultation Toolkit 2.0, as well as check out our new Tribal Consultation webpage.
We want to share a special thank you to our Title VI - Part A Indian Education Formula Grant recipients for the 2023-2024 school year. You can find a more detailed list here, which can be found on our new Title VI webpage.
Below is the current list for the 2023-2024 school year of school districts or school districts in a consortium, who meet the criteria of an “affected LEA or LEA-C” as defined under section 8538 of the ESEA, as amended by ESSA.
- Ashland (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Bethel School District
- Brookings-Harbor 17C (awardee in 22/23)
- Central Point (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Columbia Gorge ESD (awardee in 22/23)
- Dufur (LEA-C/CGESD and awardee in 22/23)
- Eagle Point (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Eugene School District
- Grants Pass 7 (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Hood River (LEA-C/CGESD and awardee in 22/23)
- Jefferson County 509J (awardee in 22/23)
- Klamath County School District
- Klamath Falls City Schools
- Lincoln County School District
- Medford 549C (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Multnomah - Portland Public Schools
- North Wasco SD 21 (LEA-C/CGESD and awardee in 22/23)
- Phoenix-Talent 4 (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Rogue River 35 (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Salem-Keizer
- Southern Oregon ESD
- South Wasco (LEA-C/CGESD and awardee in 22/23)
- Springfield School District
- Three Rivers/Josephine County (LEA-C/SOESD)
- Willamina SD
ODE’s Education Program Specialist II, Stacy Parrish, serving in the Office of Indian Education, can work directly with tribal Education Directors or school district leaders to provide support and guidance on tribal consultation. Please contact Stacy at Stacy.Parrish@ode.oregon.gov or 971-208-0270. For general Tribal Consultation inquiries, please email ODE.TribalConsultation@ode.oregon.gov.
Thank you for celebrating this exciting launch with us!
With utmost respect,
The Office of Indian Education at the Oregon Department of Education
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Released from the White House:
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the perseverance and courage of Indigenous peoples, show our gratitude for the myriad contributions they have made to our world, and renew our commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
The story of America’s Indigenous peoples is a story of their resilience and survival; of their persistent commitment to their right to self-governance; and of their determination to preserve cultures, identities, and ways of life. Long before European explorers sailed to this continent, Native American and Alaska Native Nations made this land their home, some for thousands of years before the United States was founded. They built many Nations that created powerful, prosperous, and diverse cultures, and they developed knowledge and practices that still benefit us today.
But throughout our Nation’s history, Indigenous peoples have faced violence and devastation that has tested their limits. For generations, it was the shameful policy of our Nation to remove Indigenous peoples from their homelands; force them to assimilate; and ban them from speaking their own languages, passing down ancient traditions, and performing sacred ceremonies. Countless lives were lost, precious lands were taken, and their way of life was forever changed. In spite of unimaginable loss and seemingly insurmountable odds, Indigenous peoples have persisted. They survived. And they continue to be an integral part of the fabric of the United States....
To Read the full article please visit: White House Proclamation 2023
In Honor of Native American Heritage month, we asked staff in the OIE to tell about how they engage in their Native culture and how that impacts your life. Some staff also reflected on what it means to be an ally to Indian Country and how it impacts how they support the Office of Indian Education.
Story and Photo from Brent Spencer - My grandsons are learning about our culture and traditions so they are able to keep them alive. They have been provided opportunities to practice gathering and participate in ceremonies. It warms my heart to see them learn and grow. I support Tribal History Shared History within our office. There are two focus areas, the school districts around the state and the nine sovereign Tribes of Oregon. I also perform legislative coordinator duties and track legislation relevant to the Office of Indian Education, our AI/AN students and the sovereign Tribes.
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Photo and story from Stacy Parrish -This summer my son and I started climbing all of the peaks in our original Peak to Peak Reservation Boundary negotiated with the signing of the 1864 Klamath Treaty. With every footstep up those mountains, we know we are helping to heal our ancestors who saw all of this land taken away, and in turn, we are helping to heal the land and our people. In the OIE, I manage the Tribal Attendance Promising Practices grants, support our 22 Title VI awardees in the implementation of their formula grant, and also uplift Tribal Consultation efforts between our LEAs and the nine federally recognized tribes of Oregon.
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Photo and Story from Renee Roman Nose - My family and I are active both within our Tribe, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, and regionally. My son-in-law and daughter are fluent speakers and teachers of Northern Lushootseed, sharing their language with my grandchildren and myself., and both have been accepted in the Linguistics Program at UO, where they will begin their studies in the fall of 2024. I am active within the Native community in not only my role at ODE, but also as a performer and supporter of Native events throughout Oregon and Washington. My primary lift is the AI/AN Advisory Committee, supporting the meetings and efforts to ensure that our Student Success Plan meets the needs of our Tribal communities and the success of our students. My work has also supported Indigenous Languages of Oregon, the Disciplinary Study being conducted by the UO, the Navigating Native American Student Success grant,(NSSO) the Transitions grant, the Native Voices Language Documentary, and, for the next biennium, it is hoped that we will secure funding to support the Paddling to Student Success grant which is designed to integrate both the NSSO and the Transitions grant work to support family engagement and successful student transitions. I support my esteemed colleague, Brent Spencer, in legislative coordination of proposed legislation reviewed by our office. I also represent our office to OSU, Willamette University and Chemeketa CC, as well as through inner agency partnerships. It is my honor to serve my people, and all Oregonians, in this way.
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Story and photo from Raina Reece - Long ago my grandma, who has since passed, spent hours showing my cousin and I how to do various types of beading. This year we combined our collection of beading materials and are making Christmas gifts along with showing the younger generation in our family how to bead. In the OIE, I help produce our monthly newsletter along with providing various support to Assistant Superintendent, April Campbell & Team.
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Story and photo from Stephanie Gluck - I have slowly converted my yard into a native plant habitat. What started out as a desire to restore native species in their natural environment has allowed me to make the deeper connection of how this act of restoration can acknowledge and honor the land, species and inhabitants that have been here since time immemorial. The three Camas plants I started out with have self-seeded over the years, and I look forward to the lush meadow it will form in the years to come. I support the Office of Indian Education through data analysis, research, and reporting. I work with the team together to recognize the nuance of and provide context for the data that uplifts the story of AI/AN+ students
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Hillsboro, OR: The Hillsboro public Library will be hosting a Native American Heritage Storytime on November 12th from 1:00 - 2:00pm. Bring your family to this Storytime featuring books by and about Native Americans and fun activities! For more information please visit: Native American Heritage Storytime
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Coos Bay, OR: Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with us in the Sprague Gallery, Saturday November 11th from 11am-2pm! This month's Explorer's Club we will be exploring the language of one of our local Tribes, the Siletz! Come play some language games and enjoy fun activities courtesy of siletzlanguage.org. This monthly event is FREE. For more information please visit: Exploring Siletz Language
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Central Oregon: Join the Central Oregon Community College in hosting a Native American Heritage Month that features poetry, music and comedy throughout various times of the month. For information about showtimes please visit: Central CC
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Grants Pass, OR: on Saturday November 11th at 1:00 pm the Grants pass High School Performing arts is hosting a whole day of rich community, education, art and celebration in honor of Native American Heritage Month. All Indigenous, Native and extended diverse community are welcome. This is a great event to learn more about Takelma and inter-tribal Indigenous history, present day and FUTURE. Celebrate how far we’ve come and all there is to learn! Also, make relations for healing bonds and Native allyship in our local community. For more information please visit: Grants pass Festival
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Springfield, OR: Join us at the Springfield Library on November 8th from 11:00 am- 12:00 pm, in honor of Native American Heritage Month, with Deitrich Peters of the Grand Ronde Tribe. Deitrich (Deitz) has graciously agreed to share elements of his regalia and will play flute music, talk about his culture, and answer questions. SCEC Executive Director Karen Rainsong will attend and display items of Kalapuya material culture. Bring the whole family. We may have coloring sheets and other items for the kids to take home. For more information please visit: Acorn Circle
To Register for this event please visit: AI/AN Celebration 2023
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Join the social media world with the Hashtag #ROCKYOURMOCS on all platforms starting on November 12th - 18th . Rock your mocs is a positive way to be united and celebrate tribal individuality by wearing moccasins. We honor our ancestors, and indigenous peoples worldwide, during Rock Your Mocs events and commemorate National Native American Heritage Month. |
The information posted below by the Office of Indian Education website includes hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. The Office of Indian Education provides these links solely for your information and convenience. When you select a link to an outside website, you are subject to the privacy, copyright, security, and information quality policies of that website.
Check out the Bureau of Indian Affairs website for Native American Heritage Month information on this month. Also, please visit the webpage published by the the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
The Lake Oswego High School Outdoor CTE Project is a new covered outdoor classroom area with teaching wall and mobile seating benches, teaching greenhouse, and tiered seating and planting areas south of the outdoor classroom. Site features include detention areas for storm water management at the south end of the site, lighting and ADA accessible pathways, and a new solar collector/pedestal used for the sustainable education platform for the students.
Learning Objectives:
Designing for community access and use:
- Explore & understand design approaches to low-embodied carbon building structures.
- Learn how to design “Net-Zero electric” facilities & navigate Oregon net-metering laws.
- Discover strategies that maximize “connectivity to nature” in the learning environment.
- Reflect on project lessons learned and improvements for the next one.
Register for Event
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Two individuals from our office joined in a Wonderful NIEA Conference hosted in New Mexico last month. We are grateful to all that joined NIEA at Educator Day earlier this week. The participation and engagement made the session a resounding success. We hope to see you all again next year! #EdDayNIEA #NIEA2023 #ItBeginsWithUs #EducationSovereignty |
Our office is excited to facilitate four listening sessions with Native youth this school year in alignment to the seasons. The voices of our Native youth are powerful and we want to hear from them about issues impacting them and their communities, the dreams they have, and how our office can support the dreams they have for themselves, their friends, and their family. Please help us promote this to Native youth in grades 8 through 12 by posting this flyer and sharing it with your respective mailing lists, social media pages, websites, Title VI programs, youth councils, Native student organizations, and the list goes on!
Brandon Culbertson and Stacy Parrish will host these once every season. Thank you for helping us center the voices of our beautiful diaspora of Native students in Oregon in our office.
Please vote and share! Multiple projects were designed by the Native community through culturally responsive community engagement. The top 8 projects will each receive up to 275k. Voting is open until November 11th, 2023. Anyone aged 11 and above in the Portland metro area can vote. Feel free to share the voting link through newsletters, organizational email lists, or your own platform.
Vote for the next parks and nature projects in your neighborhood.
Metro’s Nature in Neighborhoods community choice grants put community members in the lead to imagine, design and choose parks and nature projects. Your ideas and votes have the power to help shape the future parks and natural areas in your neighborhood.
Metro will invest up to $2 million in projects imagined by you and your neighbors.
The grants fund community-led parks and nature projects that benefit communities of color, Indigenous communities, people with low incomes and other communities that have been ignored or harmed by governments. The projects will connect people to nature close to home, improve fish and wildlife habitat, and make our region more resilient to climate change, making a better region for everyone.
And it’s not just for adults. Kids 11-years-old and older can vote on their favorite projects.
The first round of community choice grants is for Metro Council District 4. District 4 includes all the urban areas in Washington County north of Oregon Highway 8 (Tualatin Valley Highway) and areas west of Cornelius Pass Road.
These grants are available thanks to voters choosing to invest in parks and nature when they approved Metro’s 2019 parks and nature bond measure.
For more information please visit: Vote your park!
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The Pendleton Early Learning Center has recently put up new signage on the exterior of their building in both Umatilla and Cayuse/ Nez Perce Languages. The Early learning center would like to thank the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Language Department for assisting with the translation. To visit more about the Pendleton Early Learning Center visit: Pendleton ELC |
Do you know an outstanding high school senior?
The Oregon Department of Education has the opportunity submit the names of up to 20 exceptional high school seniors, 10 male and 10 female*, to be invited to apply for the national Presidential Scholars program. All high school seniors graduating between January and June of 2024 who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, who attend public, parochial, or independent schools, as well as those who are home-schooled, are eligible.
Nominate a student by completing one of the forms below.
Nominations are due to the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) no later than Friday, Nov. 3rd, 2023. Each high school may submit a total of three applications for consideration:
When selecting nominees, please consider the following questions:
- What about the student makes them stand out as having outstanding scholarship?
- Were there special challenges or hurdles this student has overcome while still achieving academic success and service to the community?
Also, please keep in mind that students who achieved high scores on the SAT and ACT, whose scores are marked public, will automatically be invited to apply by the U.S. Department of Education. There is no need to nominate these students via the state nomination described in this letter; instead, ODE asks that administrators focus on nominating students who demonstrate excellence not captured on national standardized exams.
ODE will review all school nominations and select the final state nominees to be sent to the U.S. Department of Education.
Selection Announcement
The nominees selected by Oregon’s Chief State School Officer, Dr. Charlene Williams, to be invited to apply for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars Award will receive a letter in January 2024 from the U.S. Department of Education inviting them to go through the federal application process, which closes in late February, 2024. The 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars are selected by the Commission on Presidential Scholars, and receive a medal during an online national recognition program in late June of 2024. There is no financial scholarship attached to this award.
More information about this program and how the U.S. Department of Education makes selections can be found on the U.S. Presidential Scholars website.
If you encounter any difficulties with the nomination process, please contact Kristidel McGregor at kristidel.mcgregor@ode.oregon.gov.
NAYA has returned with in-person College Nights! Held every Tuesday & Thursday from 3:30 – 6:00 pm. Drop-ins welcome! Can’t attend in person? Reach out to collegecareer@nayapdx.org to schedule a one-on-one zoom meeting.
“Seeking Future Indigenous Educators! The Sapsik'ʷałá (Teacher) Education Program is currently recruiting applicants for our next cohort, which will begin classes in June 2024 at our beautiful campus at the University of Oregon. The Sapsik'ʷałá Program is a rigorous, 12-month program that prepares future Indigenous educators. Sapsik'ʷałá students receive a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Teaching in partnership with the UOTeach master’s / licensure program while gaining Indigenous methodologies for teaching. Please see our admissions checklist for details on how to apply. Applications are open and close on January 15th. Contact us at sapsikwala@uoregon.edu to learn more about program provisions and hear about the student experience from our alumni!”
Tribal History/Shared History
In honor of Native American Heritage Month we would like to highlight our Grade 8 Social Sciences of Tribal Sovereignty - An Inherent Right. In this lesson, students will learn about the unique government-to-government relationship between federally recognized tribes and the U.S. government. Students will use a rubric to develop a poster after reading and viewing resources to explain what it means to be a nation within a nation.
We have NEW Additions to our website including our Title VI webpage and our New Tribal Consultation webpage! Go check them out!
Want to know more?
Check out our Tribal History / Shared history Webpage to visit a variety of lesson plans for all ages, along with presentations, activities, and professional development trainings.
Questions about Tribal History/Shared History can be directed to Brent Spencer at Brent.Spencer@ode.oregon.gov.
Oregon Department of Education Job Openings
If you're looking for a rewarding career that positively affects the lives of children, you're in the right place! The Oregon Department of Education is the primary agency charged with overseeing K-12 public education in the state of Oregon.
Employment with Oregon state government represents more than just a job. A career in public service is an opportunity to serve fellow citizens across our beautiful state. Professions in state government help to support strong communities, healthy kids, education, economic vitality and a sustainable future.
RADAR Survey Analyst
Academic Standards and Guidance Analyst
Education Equity, Safety and Restorative Justice Specialist
Racial & Ethnic Disparities Coordinator
For More Information about these listings and further Job Openings, Please visit our Career Opportunities webpage.
NAYA Job Openings
Youth Advocate
Alcohol & Drug Specialist
Process Improvement Coordinator
SW Washington Homeownership Coordinator
Family housing Navigator
Infant - Toddler Teacher 1 & 2
**Please follow this link to see more positions available at NAYA.
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Indigenous Events of Portland, OR give updated events and activities that are happening in Portland through October 2023.
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Native American Travel lets you explore and learn about Tribes across America. Plan your next trip with suggested destination sites, planned itineraries, travel tips, and experiences.
- Visit the Native American Connections website to stay updated with the North Bend Community resources, available scholarships, community craft culture activities, TAPP, Tribal history/ Shared history and a variety of local services.
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Native American Culture: Celebrate Indigenous Oregon by visiting their website that was created to explore Native American culture around the state of Oregon. This site has trip ideas, historical content for all nine federally recognized Oregon Tribes, cultural activities, and updated Oregon Tribal news. To check out more about this site please visit, Travel Oregon Native American Culture.
Burns Paiute Tribe
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Coquille Indian Tribe
Klamath Tribes
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Do you have events or highlights in your community that you would like showcased in upcoming newsletters? If so, please send submissions to Raina Reece at Raina.Reece@ode.oregon.gov
Please feel free to e-mail our staff members with any questions or comments you may have
April Campbell, Director
April.Campbell@ode.oregon.gov
Renee Roman Nose, Native American Student Success Coordinator: Renee.RomanNose@ode.oregon.gov
Brent Spencer, Indian Education Coordinator
Brent.Spencer@ode.oregon.gov
Brandon Culbertson, Indian Education Engagement Coordinator: Brandon.Culbertson@ode.oregon.gov
Stacy Parrish, Indian Education Specialist
Stacy.Parrish@ode.oregon.gov
Natalie Altermatt, Executive Support Specialist
Natalie.A.Altermatt@ode.oregon.gov
Raina Reece, Executive Support Specialist
Raina.Reece@ode.oregon.gov
Jennifer Belle, Office Specialist
Jennifer.Belle@ode.oregon.gov
Stephanie Gluck, Research & Data Analyst
Stephanie.Gluck@ode.oregon.gov
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