WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL OUR OWN DESTINY INCLUDING EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN,” SAID ISLETA PUEBLO GOVERNOR E. PAUL TORRES. “AMONG OUR FIRST PRIORITIES: HIRING EDUCATORS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO OUR STUDENTS AND DEVELOPING A CURRICULUM THAT PLACES AN EMPHASIS ON TEACHING OUR NATIVE LANGUAGE.”

WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL OUR OWN DESTINY INCLUDING EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN,” SAID ISLETA PUEBLO GOVERNOR E. PAUL TORRES. “AMONG OUR FIRST PRIORITIES: HIRING EDUCATORS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO OUR STUDENTS AND DEVELOPING A CURRICULUM THAT PLACES AN EMPHASIS ON TEACHING OUR NATIVE LANGUAGE.”

The tribe began the process of requesting the takeover last June then filed two applications Iin August and December 2014 which ensured the BIE that the tribe had the abilities to operate the school – implementing policies, establishing a Human Resources Department, food services, recreation services and financial capabilities. It received final approval from BIE this past March.

The tribe also established a 15-member transition team that has been meeting monthly since January to implement to-do lists, timelines and other tasks.

“We have created a new school board and hired our first principal in preparation of the takeover,” added Governor Torres. “We are currently hiring teachers and other pertinent staff needed to make this a success.”

Isleta is just one of four pueblos in New Mexico to take over the operation of a local school that was first established by the BIE.

Educators interested in applying for open positions at Isleta Elementary School may visit the “Careers” page at www.isletapueblo.com.

An official ceremony celebrating the transition will take place August 1 that will include visits from federal government officials including US Dept. of the Interior representatives, Secretary Sally Jewell, Asst. Sec. of Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn, BIE Director Monte Roessel, Rep. Steve Pearce and Rep. Michelle Lujan-Grisham.

THE IRONY WAS THAT THE RESTAURANT WAS FILLED WITH NATIVE AMERICAN CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES. AND THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT, A POSTER HANGING ON THE WALL WAS LITERALLY CALLING ALL OF US “SAVAGES.”

THE IRONY WAS THAT THE RESTAURANT WAS FILLED WITH NATIVE AMERICAN CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES. AND THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT, A POSTER HANGING ON THE WALL WAS LITERALLY CALLING ALL OF US “SAVAGES.”

The server was concerned that I might be upset so after our dinner the manager of the restaurant came to our table and asked if everything was OK. I showed her the quote and assured her that I was not trying to cause problems. After more than a decade of living on the Navajo Nation, I have become used to such offenses when I travel outside of our reservation. After the manager left, I noticed that another Native couple seated near us had taken interest in our conversation. So I invited them over and showed them the same offensive line hanging over our table. They were astounded that throughout their entire education they were never told the Declaration referred to Natives in such a way.

If the poster had labeled any other group of people as “savage”, or if the source of the words was anything else besides one of our country’s founding documents, the restaurant in question would have long ago been sued and the parties responsible for hanging the poster most likely disciplined. But because the targeted group was Natives, the source was the Declaration of Independence and the responsibility for hanging the poster belonged to the restaurant’s national corporate offices; not only is the poster still hanging today, but on July 4th the entire nation will celebrate the message of this poster and the signing of this Declaration. For we have declared it a national holiday complete with fireworks, parades and speeches.

This is the dilemma that Native ‘Americans’ face every day. The foundations of the United States of America are blatantly unjust. This land was stolen. Native peoples, Africans and many other minority communities have long been recipients of systemic racism. And the roots of it are right there for the entire world to see, printed in many of our founding documents; like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and United States Supreme Court case rulings.