Dear Superintendent Jose Banda, July 1st, 2012
The purpose of this correspondence is to state our collective position in direct response to the abrupt eviction of our American Indian Heritage Middle College program. We are categorically opposed to the dispossession of our Native program from the Indian Heritage school site (Wilson Pacific Building). We want our program immediately returned back to Indian Heritage (Wilson Pacific).
We view relocation of the program to Northgate Mall as a defining step to eliminate the historically successful Native focused student centered alternative program. Dispossessing our program removes AIHMC students and staff from the embedded benefits of Native community involvement, support, and cultural/traditional resources. Conversely relocation also negatively impacts our Native community because our Native community regularly utilizes Indian Heritage School (Wilson Pacific) with ongoing partnership with Indian Heritage program. Severing the ties that bind our youth and community together will have a lasting effect on the education of our Native youth. We are recommending several action items to be enforced immediately, they include:
Immediate return of AIHMC program to Indian Heritage School (Wilson Pacific).
SPS commitment to restore support for revitalizing AIHMC program to the original mission and focus.
Agreement to include Native community, student, staff, and family voice in decisions which having lasting impacts on our youth, families, and community.
Agreement to cohabitate (AIHMC) with middle school program if BEX IV levy is passed.
Agreement to preserve the Murals, which are a symbol of survival, ownership and connection with our ancestors, and pride in our culture and heritage.
Our Intertribal urban community considers Indian Heritage a historically and culturally significant site as this location has been a place of gathering for many years. Examples of contemporary activities, events, and gatherings in partnership with AIHMC include:
University of Washington Pow-Wow
Native Youth Conference 2011 and 2012
Weekly Seattle Clear Sky Native Youth Council meetings which include: academic support services, mentorship, cultural/traditional learning experiences, leadership training, storytelling, ect…
Open gym basketball
Basketball practices for Native youth
Basketball Tournaments
Art Market
Back to School Events
Various Ceremonies: memorials, naming ceremonies, celebrations, and potlatch’s
Community Meetings including Title VII meetings, gatherings for various community building events
Rites of Passage Native Graduation ceremony last 5 years
Trainings/Workshops- Leadership, cultural, and educational
Huchoosedah Program services credit retrieval, and academic support.
Summer Huchoosedah program
Basketball Camp- last 4 years
Mural Projects both internal and external walls of Indian Heritage
This is a mere sample of the scope and depth of the community’s investment in our partnership with AIHMC. The breadth and depth of our connection with Indian Heritage is beyond description and this is why we are actively engaging with SPS to reverse this hasty callus decision to relocate our program.
We rely on our established partnership with AIHMC students, and staff for cultural continuity and for strengthening AIHMC presence as well as shared benefit of generating Native visibility, presence and pride.
We are willing to meet with you if you have any questions or require additional information.
Respectfully,
Sarah Sense-Wilson
Chair, UAI/ENAE
Dr. Kelvin Frank
Executive Director, UIATF
