The following are prepared public comment given by Lynn Huenemann to the Gallup McKinley County Board of Education 1/20/2015.
COMMENTS TO THE GMCS BOARD OF EDUCATION REGARDING THE GALLUP INDIGENOUS SCHOOL INITIATIVE
Lynn Huenemann, January 20, 2015
Thank you. Good evening members of the Board, Superintendent Chiapetti, and parents
and community members.
1. I would like to first introduce myself so that you will know why I am interested in
the Gallup Indigenous School Initiative and why I want to offer these prepared remarks.
My name is Lynn Huenemann. I am the father of 3 children and the grandfather –
the chei and nali – of 6 grandchildren, all whom are enrolled members of the Navajo
Nation. Our children attended public, private, and tribal colleges and universities, and
our grandchildren now attend Navajo reservation schools, border town schools, and urban schools.
For over 40 years I was a teacher and administrator in reservation and off-
reservation schools serving Native students. And during these years I was an instructor, a
professor, and an administrator for 4 tribal colleges and 3 public and private universities
– including 9 years with Dine College - where I coordinated programs in teacher
education, and taught courses in Indian education, bilingual and bicultural education, and
Native American studies. Thus, my interest -
Now, some thoughts that I believe relate to this initiative -
2. First, the bad news!
American public education is very monolithic.
For the sake of time, I will simply illustrate this by saying that if we beamed or
parachuted you into a school classroom on a weekend you would often find it hard to tell
if you were in urban Illinois, rural Nebraska, or the Navajo reservation. The classrooms
in most of these areas are essentially similar. And the curriculum content and teaching
methods used during the week are also much the same.
Such conformity might be justified in national terms – if it were successful in
serving all students. However, the unfortunate truth is that this dominant model has
consistently failed to serve American Indian students well. As we know, Native students,
as a group, score the lowest on standardized testing – nationally, and in Gallup McKinley
County Schools – and Native student drop-out/push-out rates remain high.
We know the following about schools that are supposed to serve Indian students.
1) As stated, Indian students have the lowest scores on standardized measures of English
language and math proficiency.
2) States and schools lack standardized measures of Indian students’ achievement in
Native language, Native culture, and Native values
3) The public often judges schools by the performance of their basketball teams rather
than the academic performance of the majority of Native students
4) Teachers who are often competent in their use of conventional curriculum and
instruction are often untrained in the use of culturally responsive pedagogy and the use
and application of Native knowledge and perspectives within their academic subjects.
3. But there is good news!
First, years of research findings have already recommended using models of school
organization, and of teaching and learning that incorporate native language, native history
and culture, native identity, fuller parent involvement, and contemporary native
applications to make education more relevant to Native students and parents and tribes,
and to increase student motivation and achievement.
Second, a number of innovative Indian schools* and the 37 tribal colleges have
already demonstrated significant success in various ways according to a variety of
measures. These schools have all used culturally appropriate curriculum or culturally
responsive pedagogy as part of their approach. Their success is sometimes shown on
standardized tests of English and math. Just as often it is shown, rather, by the
development of a healthy sense of personal and cultural identity; a sense of place and
purpose in one’s world; and a sense of self-actualization and empowerment that has led to
active study and positive social involvement.
*These include, for example, Rock Point Community School, Ts4hootsoo7 Din4 Bi’olta
in Fort Defiance, American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul, the Native America
Community Academy in Albuquerque, Pine Point School community school and Bug-O-
Nay-Ge-Shig Ojibwe immersion school in Minnesota, and 37 tribal colleges** in the U.S.
and Canada.
**Many tribal colleges in their formative years produced more innovation in educational
curriculum and models than did most major universities during the same periods.
Third, there is before us an opportunity to build on this research and on these
I believe that the Gallup Indigenous School Initiative presents an opportunity to use and
to demonstrate an approach that will better serve many students. I encourage the Gallup
McKinley County Schools and School Board – and Native parents, students, and
interested community members – to support this development.
I cannot even begin here to describe the exciting ways in which real multilingual,
multicultural, multiple arts, and multiepistemological inquiry and awareness can expand
and deepen thinking and learning processes! Simply calling a school native, or charter,
or magnet does not automatically produce success. But I believe that a native indigenous
school has the potential to offer enriched learning for Native and other students and that it
can also help the District to identify and incorporate more effective ways to serve and
empower Native students and parents.
Thank you. Ahehee.
Lynn Huenemann, January 20, 2015
Thank you. Good evening members of the Board, Superintendent Chiapetti, and parents
and community members.
1. I would like to first introduce myself so that you will know why I am interested in
the Gallup Indigenous School Initiative and why I want to offer these prepared remarks.
My name is Lynn Huenemann. I am the father of 3 children and the grandfather –
the chei and nali – of 6 grandchildren, all whom are enrolled members of the Navajo
Nation. Our children attended public, private, and tribal colleges and universities, and
our grandchildren now attend Navajo reservation schools, border town schools, and urban schools.
For over 40 years I was a teacher and administrator in reservation and off-
reservation schools serving Native students. And during these years I was an instructor, a
professor, and an administrator for 4 tribal colleges and 3 public and private universities
– including 9 years with Dine College - where I coordinated programs in teacher
education, and taught courses in Indian education, bilingual and bicultural education, and
Native American studies. Thus, my interest -
Now, some thoughts that I believe relate to this initiative -
2. First, the bad news!
American public education is very monolithic.
For the sake of time, I will simply illustrate this by saying that if we beamed or
parachuted you into a school classroom on a weekend you would often find it hard to tell
if you were in urban Illinois, rural Nebraska, or the Navajo reservation. The classrooms
in most of these areas are essentially similar. And the curriculum content and teaching
methods used during the week are also much the same.
Such conformity might be justified in national terms – if it were successful in
serving all students. However, the unfortunate truth is that this dominant model has
consistently failed to serve American Indian students well. As we know, Native students,
as a group, score the lowest on standardized testing – nationally, and in Gallup McKinley
County Schools – and Native student drop-out/push-out rates remain high.
We know the following about schools that are supposed to serve Indian students.
1) As stated, Indian students have the lowest scores on standardized measures of English
language and math proficiency.
2) States and schools lack standardized measures of Indian students’ achievement in
Native language, Native culture, and Native values
3) The public often judges schools by the performance of their basketball teams rather
than the academic performance of the majority of Native students
4) Teachers who are often competent in their use of conventional curriculum and
instruction are often untrained in the use of culturally responsive pedagogy and the use
and application of Native knowledge and perspectives within their academic subjects.
3. But there is good news!
First, years of research findings have already recommended using models of school
organization, and of teaching and learning that incorporate native language, native history
and culture, native identity, fuller parent involvement, and contemporary native
applications to make education more relevant to Native students and parents and tribes,
and to increase student motivation and achievement.
Second, a number of innovative Indian schools* and the 37 tribal colleges have
already demonstrated significant success in various ways according to a variety of
measures. These schools have all used culturally appropriate curriculum or culturally
responsive pedagogy as part of their approach. Their success is sometimes shown on
standardized tests of English and math. Just as often it is shown, rather, by the
development of a healthy sense of personal and cultural identity; a sense of place and
purpose in one’s world; and a sense of self-actualization and empowerment that has led to
active study and positive social involvement.
*These include, for example, Rock Point Community School, Ts4hootsoo7 Din4 Bi’olta
in Fort Defiance, American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul, the Native America
Community Academy in Albuquerque, Pine Point School community school and Bug-O-
Nay-Ge-Shig Ojibwe immersion school in Minnesota, and 37 tribal colleges** in the U.S.
and Canada.
**Many tribal colleges in their formative years produced more innovation in educational
curriculum and models than did most major universities during the same periods.
Third, there is before us an opportunity to build on this research and on these
I believe that the Gallup Indigenous School Initiative presents an opportunity to use and
to demonstrate an approach that will better serve many students. I encourage the Gallup
McKinley County Schools and School Board – and Native parents, students, and
interested community members – to support this development.
I cannot even begin here to describe the exciting ways in which real multilingual,
multicultural, multiple arts, and multiepistemological inquiry and awareness can expand
and deepen thinking and learning processes! Simply calling a school native, or charter,
or magnet does not automatically produce success. But I believe that a native indigenous
school has the potential to offer enriched learning for Native and other students and that it
can also help the District to identify and incorporate more effective ways to serve and
empower Native students and parents.
Thank you. Ahehee.