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Members, parents learn about Indian Education

By Lailani Upham

Charlo parent Todd Couture and National Johnson O’Malley Association President Virginia Thomas converse back and forth during the Indian Education/Johnson O’Malley reservation-wide training on Monday (Lailani Upham photo)

PABLO — “Set yourself up for success,” was the overall advice from Virginia Thomas, President of the National Johnson-O’Malley Association out of Okmulgee, Oklahoma to the Indian Education Committee members and school official attendees during the Johnson O’Malley and Indian Education training.

The training was an all day workshop hosted by the CSKT Education Department in an effort to get Indian Education Committee members, parents, administrators and the community to understand the benefits and roles of the JOM program on the reservation.

“What this training did was give validity to the Tribal Education staff that monitor JOM funding and also the role they play for the Indian Education Committee,” said Penny Kipp, CSKT Tribal Education Director.

The workshop was held at the SKC Joe McDonald Health and Wellness Center on Monday.

Thomas addressed the IEC and school officials that the program is here for the students and urged the members and parents to look at every possible solution in a positive light and open mind.

In 1934 during the Indian New Deal Era the Johnson-O’Malley act was passed, to subsidize education, medical attention, and other services provided by States or Territories to Indians living within their borders. The act was developed as a federal aid program to offset costs of tax-exempt Indians making use of State-owned and funded schools and other services. It was a time in history when “Indian reformers attempted to reduce the grip the Bureau of Indian Affairs held on virtually every aspect of the lives of reservation Indians,” according to Gary Sokolow, author of ‘Native Americans and The Law.

According to the Federal Education for the American Indian Journal of American Indian Education, Legislators passed the act believing that having Indian students attend public schools was more advisable than providing separate schools for them. Instead, public schools would receive funds through the act for educating Indian students and be one of the principal means for subsidizing education for Indian students in the United States, which continues to today through the JOM program.

“The training also gave us (Tribal Education) a good foundation to make the changes needed that are mandated by the JOM funds,” Kipp stated.

During the JOM training Thomas used examples through stories. She said the students in Oklahoma were at times ashamed to be identified as JOM beneficiaries and she encouraged the students to be reminded of the hard times their ancestors went through to have such benefits and to be proud of who they are and where they come from.

The training covered the JOM program handbook; instructions for completing an annual report; what it means to be a JOM Parent Committee member; how to get started on a needs assessment; duties of the Officers; recommendations for establishing a JOM Indian Education Committee; and building and monitoring measurement goals for the program.

Thomas encouraged the group to keep an inventory list. “If the (JOM) program shuts down in a particular school or district; everything goes back to the Tribes,” she said. “It’s the Tribes decision to where it goes and it is our responsibility to keep track of the inventory,” she added.

A modern provision of the JOM act “gives parents of Indian children in local schools some input into educational decisions made by their schools that receive federal funds. Indian parents have the power to approve or disapprove of school programs funded under the JOM act.”

Although parents on the Indian Education Parent Committees have input on how the funding is spent according to the needs assessment; the Tribes on the Flathead Reservation receive the funding directly from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and has the ultimate responsibility on how the funding is spent per school. “It is the Tribes responsibility and it is at their discretion on how to distribute and how the money will be used,” said Thomas.

After meeting with the CSKT Tribal Council on Tuesday, Thomas concluded that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have much pride and belief in the people’s education. “It says a lot that the Tribal Education program is funded through Tribes,” she stated.

“The Tribal Council believes in this program not only academically but culturally.” She said.

For information on IEC or JOM funding please call, Dana Hewankorn (406) 675-2700 ext. 1070; Miranda Burland at ext. 1074; or Penny Kipp at ext. 1072.
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