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Show THE ZEPHYROCTOBER 1995 s I A if they want to attend high school. This even though there are enough children to justify a high school at Navajo Mountain. Of course, this causes the young children much hardship when they must leave home. It forces the parents to spend their meager poverty funds for the education of these children. And still, the San Juan School District continues to refuse to spend any funds, or build a high school, for the children at Navajo Mountain. A bit of progress has been reported to have been made on the Navajo Mountain issue, however the School District continues to assert that it has no legal duty to provide any education at all to reservation Indians. Facilities arc still inadequate. For instance, mobile class rooms are used in Montezuma Creek for junior high school classes while areas in the predominately Anglo portion of the District have full modern school facilities. Class room space and library facilities in some Indian schools are inadequate. There are shortages of teaching equipment and supplies. New school construction is required in order to bring the Native- - American schools into line with those in the northern white portion of the District. Many Indian children claim discriminatory treatment by district personnel and generally complain that they are not made to feel welcome in district schools. Students can't excel academically without a supportive and friendly environment. Feelings of racism touches everybody in our schools and affects how people feel about n themselves. This is a fault of the schools. A training program is urgently needed. The School District also receives considerable federal and state and local tax funds from reservation sources, but short changes Indian children by not providing them with adequate resources. The School District refuses to implement the bilingual education program required the decree. There is still no approved bilingual program. Native American teachers by are few. There is a drastic shortage of qualified Indian teachers. The quality and number of teachers do not reflect the community's racial mix. Teachers must be hired that reflect culturally diverse backgrounds to be models for the students. Many white teachers arc not qualified to teach Indian children. Indian children had extremely low academic performance rates on standard achievement tests (The average SAT score for reading at Monument Valley is on the 6th percentile). They have terribly deficient learning skills, inadequate language skills, and a high drop out rate due to the lack of a bilingual-biculturprogram and other District programs. inadequacies in The drop-ou- t rate is astronomical. It has been reported that "Native American rate of any ethnic group; Navajos have a higher Indians have the highest drop-orate than the average for all tribes; and the Navajos in Son Juan County have drop-oa higher drop-orate than the rest of the Navajo Nation." This hardly indicates a friendly environment. Even so, the District intends to continue its resistance to these cases and has given no indication that it will change its attitude that it is not fully responsible for the education of Native American children in San Juan County. PAGE 23 r NORMA NUNN (W)259-502- 1 (H) 259-72- 75 THE GREAT GET AWAY!! Hunting, fishing or just relaxing nestled in the canyons in the beautiful LaSal Creek area. Huge stone fireplace and giant log beamed ceiling accent this over 2,000 sq ft farm house on 1 acre. $125,000 wowner finance. (332) LAST OF THE GOOD DEALS!! C--3 Commercial zoning downtown Moab. Good visibility with fixer upper building. $69,000. (251) 7000 sq. ft HWY COMMERCIAL BUILDING on 2.7 acres. Great visibility and parking. Motivated seller will carry contract $225,000. racism-reductio- (309) ' I j j I i PIONEER ADOBE BRICK HOME!! White picket fence frames this beautifully restored charmer on large shady comer lot. $1 19,000. (344) BRING YOUR MOBILE HOME, modular or building plans for this lot adjoining Pack Creek, all utilities available $22,500 wpossible owner financing. (346) 2.27 ACRES near golf course. Views of LaSals and Moab Valley. Bring your home plans. $59,000 wowner financing. (310) i QUALITY REALTY SOS MAIN ST. or 21 259-&1- 93 al FAX 259-838- 7 ut ut ut THE SAN JUAN PROJECT Surely, for many years. Native Americans living in San Juan County have not had a fair opportunity to have an adequate education. There has been a long history in not encouraging Native Americans to complete their formal education. Some people, however, around the state, arc attempting to do something about it. Two years ago, a group of us formed an organization to try to make some changes. We called it 'The San Juan Project." It was headed by Judge Scott Daniels. it Utah Corporation. Directed by a Board of The San Juan Project is a e Americans, it represents varied members, both native and twenty-fivis The organization has no Its volunteers. done work of the community. by segments paid staff, no office, and little overhead expense. The Project's stated purpose is "to improve the living conditions, education, and fair political representation of the Native American Indian population in and around and if necessary, San Juan County, Utah through advocacy, education, litigation." Law service has become a necessary cornerstone of the Indian community. Legal arc extremely services to the deprived poor and to the educationally-deprivehave is a sure lack of such services to important. The greater impact now that the Commerce and Justice appropriations bills eliminated the line item for legal services. As most Indian legal services operate on shoestring budgets, the San Juan Project has assisted by raising money to retain experts and pay other costs incurred in litigation. Litigation is a last option for the San Juan Project. It does not want the School District to spend its resources on attorneys' fees, but it wants it spent on student education. efforts to keep their What is asked is that governments make good-fait- h This means honoring treaty rights, govemment-to-governmecommitments to Native Americans. commitments, and court orders. The U.S. has vowed through the 1868 Navajo treaty, that Indians would be housed, educated and afforded decent health care. We have failed in each of these. But surely, until the School District dismantles its dual system and provides fair opportunities for quality education to all of its students, the San Juan Project pledges to continue its fight. Much needs to be done from advocacy work to helping in this litigation. The San Juan Project anticipates that $45,(K) over the next three years will be required to finance litigation. The Project has raised about $10,000 so far. Contributions can be made to the San Juan Project, P.O. Box 511033, Salt Lake City, Utah 84151. on Saturday, CXtober The San Juan Project is holding a benefit picnic 7 at P.N1. at the Lake Terrace at Sugarhouse Park in Salt Lake City. There will be good food, music, and great company. It will be a great place to meet the participants and to gain more information. All for a great, great cause. NOTE Some of the original cover art from past Zephyrs and color prints of many of Herb Ringer's photographs are for sale. For more information, write or call the Zephyr. non-prof- non-nati- CEfe-nfeGMHi- E ve GGSfiQpEzffi-J- D fund-raisin- g, d msm et I SEPTEMBER 21: 51 DEGREES , SWEATER WEATHER. nt fund-rais- 5.-0- BBBB er ! SEPTEMBER 20: 91 DEGREES IN THE SHADE. ITS TIME TO CHECK YOUR FURNACE. |
