Pendleton School District to Honor 21 Native American Students

MISSION – Twenty-one Native American students from schools affiliated with the Pendleton School District (PSD) will be acknowledged Monday, Nov. 18 as part of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Recognition Night. 

“The students are selected based on criteria set by each school. Some are recognized for having great attendance, some for academics and some for being incredible members of the school. In most cases, the students are nominated for recognition by their teachers,” Matt Yoshioka, PSD Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment director, said.

Students will be acknowledged with certificates and short speeches from their respective principals who selected them.

Hosted by the PSD School Board and CTUIR Education Department, the event is held annually during the school board’s November meeting in honor of Native American Heritage Month. The public event is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Nixyáawii Education Center commons area.

“The student recognition helps us give more attention to all the amazing students we have attending our schools. The board meeting is a great place for parents to support and be proud of their children and their accomplishments,” Yoshioka said.

This year’s recognized students are:

• Indie Cox and Abi Coy of McKay Elementary;
• Weptas Brockie, Myalyn Mills and Areas Cowapoo of Nixyáawii Community School;
• Calliope Simpson and Swatas Spencer of Pendleton Early Learning Center;
• Hayden Bonifer, Dakota McLaughlin and Miranda Dixon of Pendleton High School;
• Kahlyssa Brown and Sofia Simpson of Sherwood Elementary;
• Craig Logan, Savaya Cree Medicine Minthorn, Layla Berumen Spino and Aaron Veraga Castillo of Sunridge Middle School; and
• Sunhawk Lopez, Feather Najera, Brayen Marsh, Lelei Taula and Binesii Blair of Washington Elementary.

“On behalf of the CTUIR Board of Trustees, I would like to congratulate all the students who made such impressions on their teachers and principals to be chosen for this honor,” BOT Member at Large Lisa Ganuelas said. “Whether they are in an elementary, middle school or high school, I hope they continue to strive for excellence in the attributes that got them nominated and never stop the education process.”

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is comprised of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes, and formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley, 12 Stat. 945. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the reserved treaty rights guaranteed under federal law.