{"id":24473,"date":"2022-05-18T14:28:42","date_gmt":"2022-05-18T18:28:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=24473"},"modified":"2022-06-28T15:00:12","modified_gmt":"2022-06-28T19:00:12","slug":"it-hurts-our-heart-indian-school-focuses-on-safety-as-year-comes-to-a-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/05\/18\/it-hurts-our-heart-indian-school-focuses-on-safety-as-year-comes-to-a-close\/","title":{"rendered":"‘It hurts our heart’: Indian school focuses on safety as year comes to a close"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wind River Sky Imagery: Tour of St. Stephens Indian School<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
‘It hurts our heart’: Indian school focuses on safety as year comes to a close<\/div>\r\n
Wednesday, May 18, 2022<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe St. Stephens Indian School<\/a> is closing out the academic year after the entire administration was ousted following an investigation into the toxic work environment<\/a> at the educational institution in Wyoming.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nIn a May 13 statement<\/a>, acting superintendent Blakke Bertram said St. Stephens has been focusing on student safety during the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year. Classes are wrapping up this week and next week at the facility on the Wind River Reservation<\/a>.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cSt. Stephens Indian School is committed to helping our students and community to move forward in this challenging time,\u201d Bertram said in the statement, released ahead of Traditional Week<\/a>, where students are encouraged to wear moccasins, ribbon shirts and ribbon skirts as the academic year winds down.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWe have a caring staff who are working hard to finish the 2021-2022 school year for our students,\u201d Bertram continued. \u201cWe ensure to our community that our staff will conduct themselves with professionalism and best practices in helping our students in continuing to learn and be safe for the remainder of the school year and moving forward.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIt hurts our heart that our students and community had to endure these challenges,\u201d Bertram added.\r\n

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<\/p>\r\nBertram was brought on board as acting superintendent following an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Education<\/a> that corroborated accounts of sexual harassment, bullying and drug use by administrators at St. Stephens. The investigation was requested by the Wind River Inter-Tribal Council, which consists of the leadership of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe<\/a> and the Northern Arapaho Tribe<\/a> on the resrvation.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \u201cWe are working hard with the BIE and Inter-Tribal Council to address all policies, procedures, and practices to avoid this happening again,\u201d Bertram said in the statement. \u201cAll athletics and events, including graduation, will remain as scheduled.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe BIE investigation focused primarily on the actions of superintendent Frank No Runner, high school principal Matthew Mortimore and elementary school principal Greg Juneau. All three are no longer listed as employees at St. Stephens. No Runner’s wife, Pattee Bement, is no longer listed as an employee either.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe school is part of the BIE system and has been operated by the St. Stephens Indian School Educational Association, Inc. under a self-determination contract<\/a> since 1975.\r\n

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