Stuart Tonemah Past President of NIEA Passes Away

Stuart Tonemah once said that if he could be anything in the world he would be a great river. He liked the way a river is smooth on top, beautiful and peaceful, but underneath it is churning and shaping mountains. This describes the life of Stuart Alton Tonemah who died at age 67 on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, of heart complications at St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma City. He spent his career in Indian education shaping paths and leading people to springs of hope. He helped to mold hundreds of Native students from kindergarten through post-secondary education.

He was born on March 19, 1941, in Lawton, Okla., to the late Harry and Rowena Tonemah. He graduated from Lawton High School in 1959. He received a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Oklahoma in 1965 and pursued his doctorate in Educational Leadership at Penn State University. He coached football at Haskell Indian Junior College in Lawrence, KS, from 1966 to 1971 before becoming the first director of Native American Programs at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. He made significant contributions to groups such as the National Advisory Council on Indian Education, where he served as the Executive Director 1977-79. He was a lifelong member, board member and President of the National Indian Education Association 1979. He was honored as the National Indian Educator of the Year in 1980-81.

Stuart's life-long dedication to helping Indian people culminated in the founding of a non-profit organization, American Indian Research and Development (AIRD) located in Norman, OK. He served as president for more than 20 years. AIRD's work included a number of programs for gifted and talented American Indian students, training for American Indian teachers and administrators and a Native American marrow recruitment project. He was a member of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma and founding member of Norman First American United Methodist Church in Norman, Okla.
Stuart is survived by his significant other, Mary Ann Brittan of Oklahoma City; his daughter and husband, Keri and Jeffrey Parks of Oklahoma City; his daughter and husband, Ginny and John Underwood of Yukon, Okla.; four grandchildren, Rachel and Rebecca Parks; Avery and Alyssa Underwood; his brother and wife, T. Charles and Donna Tonemah; his sister and husband, Bess and Earl Yeahquo; and brother and wife, Harry and Polly Tonemah. He is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and many wonderful friends. In addition to his parents, a sister, Alice Tonemah, and a brother, Quanah Tonemah, preceded him in death.

A Prayer Service will be held Saturday, February 14 at 6:00p.m. at the Norman First American United Methodist Church, 1950 Beaumont, Norman, OK 73071. The Wake Service will be held Sunday, February 15, at 6:00 p.m. at Huddleston's Funeral Home, 6210 Cache Road, Lawton, OK. Funeral Services will be Monday, February 16 ,at 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 2602 N.W. Ferris, Lawton, OK. Interment will follow at Mt. Scott KCA Cemetery, SH 58, Lawton, OK.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Norman First American United Methodist Church Building Fund, 1950 Beaumont, Norman, OK

Stu Tonemah Left at NIEA Pow Wow Phoenix 2004 from the right of Stu is Lloyd Elm and Mary McDonnell, star of Dances with Wolves

Stu Tonemah right at NIEA Pow Wow Phoenix 2004

Stu Tonemah second from left top row among past Presidents and educators of the year at the Phoenix Convention and conference of the National Indian Education Association 2004. Left of Stu in the top row is David Beaulieu and to his right is Lionel Bordeaux, Bill Demmert Jr., Lorene Zah Bahe, Ken Ross, Sherry Ellison, Allen Tsinigine, seated, Left to right Cindy LeMarr, Robin Butterfield, Agnes Chavis, Yvonne Novack

Indian Schools Face Unique Challenges, Witnesses Tell Education Subcommittee

Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert testifieson September 9, 2008

The administration should do more to improve academic standards for schoolchildren who attend Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education at a hearing on Tuesday. Specifically, they said the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Education must work more closely with tribal organizations to develop accountability systems under the No Child Left Behind Act. The federal government provides elementary and secondary education and educational assistance to Indian children directly through federally-funded schools or through assistance to public schools. Ninety percent of Indian students attend public schools operated by local school districts. However, 10 percent attend BIE schools, which are schools funded by the Department of the Interior. BIE schools are subject to NCLB with limited exceptions.

"Our success in the 21st century economy is directly tied to our ability to produce a high quality labor force. And that ability is, of course, directly tied to our ability to meet the challenge of providing every child – including every Indian child – with a world-class education. We must ensure that Indian tribes – which are sovereign entities who best understand their children’s needs – are full partners in that process." -- Subcommittee Chairman Dale Kildee.

"Recognizing and validating the cultural, social and linguistic needs of American Indians is critical to guaranteeing the continuity of their communities... We believe with good faith collaboration that we can provide our children with an education that honors their Native identities while simultaneously preparing them for successful futures by providing them with opportunities to incorporate into the curriculum their rich cultural heritages, languages, and traditions." -- Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, President of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), who testified that the BIE should expand upon the culturally based instruction currently taking place in Indian schools by promoting stronger integration of Native culture and languages into the curriculum.

"The frustration with this situation is NCLB provides opportunities for tribes to have a significant voice on assessing the quality of education for their children and making changes to their educational programs based on those assessments... The manner in which the BIE has chosen to implement NCLB has left tribes with no voice in educating their own children." -- Ted Hamilton, Executive Director of the Oceti Sakowin Education Consortium, who testified about the need to develop strong accountability systems tailored to BIE schools under NCLB

http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/ecese-2008-09-09.shtml

See witness testimony at link above for

Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Hearing: "Challenges Facing Bureau of Indian Education Schools in Improving Student Achievement"
Tuesday, September 9, 2008