Education Briefs | Sutherland selected to represent Arizona at Western Governors’ Leadership Institute

DENVER

Maria Sutherland is one of two students chosen by the Western Governors’ Foundation to attend the inaugural leadership forum of the Western Governors’ Leadership Institute this summer in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Sutherland, Dine, currently attends Southern Utah University.

The other student is Gustaf Vanderdonck. They are being recognized for their community service and outstanding leadership potential.

Sutherland is majoring in sociology and minoring in psychology.

She is currently the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council director at Southern Utah University and hopes to continue advocating for underrepresented students in higher education.

Vanderdonck is a rising third-year law student at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

The WGF’s leadership institute chose delegates from 14 western states and two tribal nations to attend a one-day leadership forum on July 25 and the annual meeting of WGA on July 26 and 28.

Wyaco graduates from Dickinson College

CARLISLE, Penn. – Jaren Wyaco, daughter of Jolene Bill of St. Michaels, Arizona, graduated cum laude from Dickinson College on May 22 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience.
Wyaco is a graduate of Window Rock High.

NTC’s culinary, baking programs receive accreditation

CROWNPOINT – On June 13, Navajo Technical University’s Culinary and Professional Baking Program passed accreditation by the American Culinary Federation.

Accreditation is a self-review process for improving culinary arts/baking and pastry programs, and reviews take place every five to seven years.

When a student joins NTU, and until graduation, the student becomes a member of the ACF, the most prominent professional chef organization in the U.S. with 14,000 members.

Today ACF is the leader in offering educational funds, training programs, and apprenticeships.

Robert Witte, master technical instructor of culinary arts at NTU said, “NTU being accredited through this organization will help the students progress to a higher level in the industry at a faster rate.

“NTU has accomplished what no other culinary program has in the state,” he said, “being accredited has the highest honor.”

NTU congratulates chefs Brian Tatsukawa, Walter Cloud, Sheila Begay, Melvina Jones and Lorencita Billiman.

Panelists announced for annual UNITY national conference

MESA, Ariz. —The Native youth organization, United National Indian Tribal Youth, announced two panels to be held at its national conference in Minneapolis from July 8 to 12, according to a June 16

The panels are titled “Native Activism: Then and Now” and “Indigenous Actors in Film.”

The Native activism panel will feature Judith Leblanc, executive director of Native Organizers Alliance, civil rights activist Madonna Thunderhawk and environmentalist Winona LaDuke.

The second panel on Indigenous actors will be hosted by Kiowa Gordon, an actor from the AMC+ TV series “Dark Winds,” and Stormee Lee Kipp, from the upcoming movie “Prey,” which will release on Aug. 5.

Native youth will gather for the conference from across the U.S. for worship, breakout sessions, and cultural sharing. They will also participate in the annual fashion show and gala.

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Stephanie “Pyet” DeSpain, the winner of Gordon Ramsey’s “Next Level Chef.”

Mary Kim Titla, executive director of UNITY, said, “UNITY wants to highlight the rich history that Minneapolis has as the birthplace of the American Indian Movement and teach the Native youth to be community organizers and change agents through servant leadership,” said.

Diné College’s STEM summer internship program wins bronze award

DENVER – Diné College’s STEM summer internship program was named the bronze-award winner by the National Environmental Health Association’s 2022 American Indian/Alaska Native Environmental Health Recognition Awards.

Diné College’s program is designed to train students in brownfield remediation within the Navajo Nation.

Through the program, students learn to identify contaminated areas, employ toxicology, environmental sampling, and restoration methods, and attend tribal meetings to gather community input on how the land can be reclaimed.

Direct input from the Navajo Nation helps the Diné team better understand the relationship between the Navajo people and their environment and incorporate traditional ecological knowledge and cultural guidance into remediation activities.

The National Environmental Health Association chose the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board Environmental Health Program for the gold award.

The silver award went to the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center’s Tribal Healthy Homes Project.

Co-led by Dr. Sheldwin Yazzie, deputy director, and Dr. Joseph Hoover, co-director of the University of New Mexico Center for Native Environmental Health Equity Research, the program partnered with tribal communities to design home assessment tools; collect, analyze, and report housing quality and geospatial data; measure and report residential home indoor radon concentration levels; and conduct training activities.

“We are honored to recognize these three outstanding programs,” said Gina Bare, associate director of program and partnership development at NEHA. “We hope this funding helps to further each program’s work to protect communities from health risks and address health disparities.”

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