Support for New Muckleshoot Tribal School

WHEREAS, the National, Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1969 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives an Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA as the largest national Indian organization of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Narve people; and

WHEREAS, through its unique political relationship with Indian nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, to meet the unique educational needs of Muckleshoot Tribal children where those needs cannot or are not being met in the public school system, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe has established and now maintains a Tribal School that currently provides education to Indian children in grades kindergarten through high school; and the funding levels for certain BIA education program; including Student Transportation, Facilities Operations and Maintenance, and Administrative Cost Grants have been funded at well below the required levels, thereby requiring schools to reduce the funds available for pupil instruction to make up these deficits; and

WHEREAS, the current buildings that house the Muckleshoot Tribal School have exceeded their useful life; are inadequate and in many respects are in a physical condition that is not conducive to providing the best educational experience for Indian children attending the school; and,

WHEREAS, the Muckeshoot Tribe has prepared an application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for funding that will allow the Muckleshoot Tribe to replace its existing school facilities in order to meet the educational needs of its members and other Indian children on and near the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation, and,

WHEREAS, the funding of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe’s funding request will allow the Tribe to construct a Tribal school to provide the best education for Indian students from the reservation and surrounding areas.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Indian Education Association supports the efforts of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe to secure funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to replace its existing Tribal School facilities, and further supports the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe’s application for funding and urges the Bureau of Indian Affairs to approve the submitted application.

Submitted by: Virginia Cross, Tribal Affiliation: Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

CERTIFICATION

I do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly considered and passed by the NIEA Board of Directors at is October 28 – 31, 2001 meeting in Billings Montana at which time a quorum was present.