By Karin Eagle
Native Sun News Staff Writer RAPID CITY — The 1972 Indian Education Act was the landmark legislation that created the ability for Native American people to expect consideration of their culture and language needs as they related to their children’s education. The IEA set about establishing a comprehensive approach to meeting the unique needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students. The unique aspects of the original authority have been retained through subsequent legislative reauthorization statutes, with the latest revision occurring with the amendments made by the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which reauthorized the IEA program as Title VII, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Indian education legislation is unique in the fact that it recognizes that Native Americans have unique, educational and culturally related academic needs and distinct language and cultural needs, and it is the only comprehensive federal Indian education legislation that deals with American Indian education from preschool to graduate-level education and reflects the diversity of government involvement in Indian education. Title II focuses national attention on the educational needs of Native American learners, reaffirming the federal government’s special responsibility related to the education of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, and ensures that services are provided to Native Americans and Alaska Natives that are not provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Rapid City Area Schools District has Jr. Bettelyoun, Oglala Lakota, serving the Native American students in the district as the Title VII director. Meetings are held for parents and families of Native American students in Rapid City through a Parent Advisory Committee which meets monthly. PAC meetings are open to the public and often include cultural and language presentations geared at empowering the Native community in being more proactive in their children’s education. Parents and other community members are always sought to fill the PAC officer positions. The meetings are held across the district in different school locations each month. The following schedule was approved this month for the 2012-13 school year: • Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m., Central High School, 433 Mount Rushmore Road
• Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m., East Middle School, 4860 Homestead St.
• Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m., General Beadle Elementary, 10 Van Buren St.
• Dec. 18, 5:30 p.m., North Middle School, 1501 North Maple St.
• Jan. 15, 2013, 5:30 p.m., Horace Mann Elementary School, 902 Anamosa St.
• Feb.19, 5:30 p.m., Knollwood Elementary School, 1701 Downing St.
• March 19, 5:30 p.m., Stevens High School, 1200 44th St.
• April 16, 5:30 p.m., North Middle School, 1501 North Maple St.
• May 15, 6 p.m., Feathering and Honoring Ceremony, Stevens High School. A community meal is served at 5 p.m., just prior to each meeting. The Office of Indian Education is located in the City/School Administration Center (CSAC), located at 300 6th St. in Rapid City. Contact the office by phone at (605) 394-4071 or by email at rapidcityindianeducation@k12.sd.us. (Contact Karin Eagle at staffwriter2@nsweekly.com) (c) Native Sun News
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