Support for a Statewide Indian Charter School Concept and for the NATIVE Charter School of California’s Request to Become a Local Education Agency {LEA).

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

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

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

WHEREAS, the State of California has the largest population of American Indians of all of the 50 states; and the state legislature has established Indian Education Centers throughout California to address the alarmingly high dropout rate and low academic achievement scores oflndian youth; and

WHEREAS, these centers have collaborated to form a replicable statewide charter school model, the NATIVE Charter School, to address the failure of the public school system to educate Indian youth; and

WHEREAS, recent California legislation, SB434, severely restricts the implementation of the NATIVE Charter School concept by limiting a statewide collaborative effort; and

WHEREAS, there may be American Indian and Alaska Native students residing in other states with the same problems as those in California who could benefit from the NATIVE Charter School Model.

NOW THEREFORE BE ITRESOL VED THAT THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION reaffirms the belief that American Indian and Alaska Native children must not lose their sense of self or culture in order to succeed in school;

AND BE IT FURTHERRESOLVED THAT THE NATIONAL INDIANEDUCATION ASSOCIATION supports any and all efforts to reduce drop out rates and improve academic performance and achievement by American Indian and Alaska Native students wherever they reside;

AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION supports the efforts of the NATIVE Charter School, as well as efforts to create similar systems in other states, to reduce drop out rates and improve academic achievement among resident American Indian and Alaska Native students.

SUBMITTED BY: Marcellene Norton (Hupa), Hoopa, CA, and Cindy La Marr, (Pit River/Paiute), Sacramento, CA.

CERTIFICATION

I do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly considered and passed by the NIEA membership assembled at its annual convention in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at which a quorum was present during the meeting held October 17-20, 1999.