I'm extremely pleased to read about the education and collaboration with the Nisqually Indian Tribe at North Thurston Schools. I only wish every school in our country followed this example. I believe this program shows the best Indian education I've heard of for teens here. Learning that being Indian makes you proud of your heritage and part if the wider community of Indian Country helps with self-esteem, especially when so much of the non-Indian population of America remains unaware of the American Indians living among them. I know that when I was in school in the 50's and 60's, being Indian meant being marginalized in the classroom. Mentioning Indian heritage in the past meant discrimination, so my mother used to claim to be "part Italian" to deflect the bigotry. I hope this program thrives and sets an example for other school districts.
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