Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

A total of 20 SUNY Potsdam education majors who will be completing field experiences and/or student teaching and have an interest in the Salmon River Central School District recently attended the “Ahkwesahsne and New York State Teaching and Learning Standards Orientation Conference” to learn more about the special aspects of teaching in a district with such a rich Native American heritage.

Sponsored by SUNY Potsdam’s Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) and Teacher/Leader Quality Partnerships Program (TLQP), the conference was held at the Kana:takon School in Ahkwesahsne.

Annemarie FitzRandolph, Director of Instruction in the Salmon River Central School District, welcomed the participants, outlined the conference agenda and introduced each presenter.

Lynn McCarthy, principal of Kana:takon School, led the participants on a school tour and pointed out the many ways Mohawk history and culture are acknowledged in science projects, artwork, Mohawk language displays and other classroom projects.

Conference participants were greeted with the traditional Mohawk Opening Address given by Skaniehtiiostha Montour, a Mohawk 10th-grade student. Barry Montour, director of the Ahkwesahsne Board of Education, explained the significance of this opening address.

To emphasize the importance of the school/parent relationship, Bev Lazore, a Salmon River Central School district ombudsman, described her role in guiding students and parents to resolve conflicts and gave examples of the positive activities she supervised to enhance the school experience.

Karen White, a school representative, explained the importance of federal and state grants to the Salmon River Central School district and the value of collaborations with the tribe, community and various educational programs at North Country colleges and universities such as those shared by SUNY Potsdam and the Mohawk community – the North Country Science and Technology Entry Program (NCSTEP) and the Potsdam Akwesasne Talent Search (PATS) program.

Participants received handouts about the principles of learning and instruction on the New York State Teaching and Learning Standards during the presentation by Salmon River Central Elementary School literacy specialists Christine McKane, Mary Ann Nicola and Tammy Russell. These teachers also described their important support roles working with the classroom teachers.

Julie Reagan, clinical faculty member and professional development liaison to the Ahkwesahsne area schools, was pleased to have the event at the Kana:takon school.

“Both Salmon River Central School District and the Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Board of Education schools provide our pre-service teachers and fellow educators with a rich and diverse multicultural experience. I commend these districts for their progressive stance and for providing meaningful education to children in the 21st century. They are a model for all North Country schools,” said Reagan.

Tsiorakwathe Gilbert, Mohawk language teacher at Salmon River Middle School and High School, led participants in an interactive and enjoyable introductory lesson on learning the Mohawk language.

Barry Montour concluded the morning program with an excellent illustrated talk on the history of the Mohawk nation as well as the history and government of Ahkwesahsne.

Following the conference luncheon at the Wolf Clan restaurant, participants visited the St. Regis Mohawk Akwesasne Museum. Sue Herne, Museum Director, provided additional information about the history and culture of the Mohawk Nation through descriptions of a variety of artifacts in the museum and their relationships to specific historical records and Mohawk legends.

“Participants found the conference a valuable learning experience providing information about Mohawk history and culture, and the schools in the Salmon River Central School District, and those under the jurisdiction of the Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Board of Education. They gained an enhanced understanding of the important role educators play in validating their students’ cultural heritage in the classroom and in the school district,” said Diana Fisher, director of TOC and Student Support Services at SUNY Potsdam.

The TOC grant is funded by the New York State Education Department Office of K-16 Initiatives and Access Programs Teacher Development Programs Unit and SUNY Potsdam. TLQP is a New York State Department of Education “teacher improvement” grant program funded under No Child Left Behind (NCLB).