Lalá Tom Red BirdLakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi Fluent Speaker/Primary InstructorThomas Red Bird (Išná Wičá) grew up on the Cheyenne River reservation. He has been a teacher in the Lakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi sinče its opening in the fall of 2012. Tom has undergone years of Lakota language teacher methodology and Lakota linguistic training through the Lakota Summer Institute. He previously worked at the United Tribes Technical College.
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Uŋčí Grace DraskovicLakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi Wičhákini Owáyawa PrincipalGrace (DeRockbraine) Draskovic is a fluent speaker of the Lakota language originally from the Rock Creek District in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. When Grace was in the third grade she moved to McIntosh, SD then made her way to Fort Yates in 1993. Grace has been involved in Education for 38 years prior to her arrival at Lakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi/Wičhákini Owáyawa. Grace began to pursue Early Childhood Education in 1986 up until 2015 at Standing Rock’s Early Head Start Program.
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Tȟuŋwíŋ Sunshine Carlow (Maštéwiŋ)LW Guide and LWWO Finance ManagerTȟuŋwíŋ Sunshine is the AMI certified Montessori Primary Guide for the Lakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi classroom as well as the Financial Manager for the school. Formerly the founder and Director of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's Language and Culture Institute, Sunshine has been on the planning, grants writing and advisory board for the school since its inception in 2011.
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Tȟuŋwíŋ Deanna MentzWičhákini Owáyawa/Lakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi ChefDeanna Jo Mentz has worked in our school for approximately 3 years. Deanna enjoys cooking, baking, and loves working with kids. Nearly all of Deanna’s meals for the school are homemade, home cooked, made-from-scratch meals. Deanna prepares breakfast, lunch and snacks every day for our kids and makes sure to touch base on each food group in her meals.
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Uŋčí Betty ArchambaultLakȟól’iyapi Wičhákini Owáyawa InstructorBetty Archambault is an Oglala Lakota who has been living on the Standing Rock for approximately 28 years! Betty is a mother of 8; grandmother of 21; and great-grandmother of 10. Betty has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education with a Minor in Lakota Studies from Oglala Lakota College. Betty has been certified in Montessori from ages 0-9. Betty’s Masters in Education has been acquired from the University of Maryland. Betty has been involved in education for the past 45 years. As she recalls, since her eldest daughter Billi went to Head Start where Betty has previously volunteered. Betty has always believed that our children are sacred and deserve more than what our current education system provides. We walk in two worlds and should be educated in both our native ways and an education system that is success oriented and develops the individual talents of our students. We are all spirits learning to be human. That is why I am so excited to work with the curriculum for our youngest students for I know we can learn so much from these young spirits and teach them through respecting their spiritual path. They are the future of our nations.
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Uŋčí Ruby Shoestring |
Lakȟól’iyapi Wahóȟpi & Wičhákini Owáyawa 2nd LL Instructor/Curriculum Editor
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