Native American Heritage Day Friday, November 28, 2008

• The Native American Heritage Day Act 2008 encourages the people of the United States, as well as federal, state and local governments and interested groups and organizations, to observe such day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities, including activities related to:- The historical status of Native American tribal governments as well as the present day status of Native Americans;- Native American cultures, traditions and languages; - and, the rich Native American cultural legacy

History of Board of Regents Support

• American Indian Tuition Waiver• Indian Education for All Work Group

• Last meeting was October 28, 2008• Focused plan in 2006 with Five priorities:– Teacher education programs– In-service education for K-12– Formal course based on the seven essential

understandings– Post-secondary coursework – Standards of conduct for research in tribal

communities

Campus support

• Miles Community College and Prairie View Curriculum consortium (PVCC) partnered and wrote a Humanities Montana grant for $2,625 for the “planting seeds” project to purchase Indian Education for All materials for the PVCC schools. Twenty –six rural schools received materials on October 3rd.

• In celebration of American Indian Heritage Day, Flathead Valley Community College invited the community on September 26th to a free presentation and lecture by members of the Blackfeet Nation.

Campus Support

• English Professor Heather Bruce at The University of Montana received a $10,000 grant (renewable for 3 years) to fund the Montana Writing Project’s initiative “Implementing Indian Education for All”

• The Council of Elders, met at Montana State University in early November. President Gamble formed the group of leaders from Montana's tribes in 2004, telling them at that time that he had a vision for the development of Indian education at MSU. The group meets on campus each fall and spring.