The Bishop Paiute Tribe, Owens Valley Career Development Center, and Cerro Coso’s Bishop Campus hosted their First Annual Education Summit on April 1st and 2nd. The theme of the inaugural event was “Honoring our Traditions: Empowering our First Teachers.”
The two-day affair, attended by over 150 parents, students, educators, and tribal leaders, offered twenty workshops on various topics, including: “Tribal Nations: The Unique Status of Indian Tribes and Native American People,” “Positive Communication is a Team Effort,” “Family Genealogy,” “Our Songs: The Way We Were Taught,” “How Dyslexia is Affecting the Native American Community,” “Increasing Student Success through Mentorship,” “School Loop: The Ins and Outs of Parent-School Communication,” and “Bringing Literacy to Life.” Guest speaker Pearl Yellowman, EdD, presented her research on where the achievement gap begins for Native American students, exploring the relationship between environmental (i.e. poverty) and developmental (i.e. health) conditions. William Carrillo Sr., Tule River Tribal Council Member, honored the 40th Anniversary of California’s first Indian Education Center located in Bishop, shared the history and recognized the accomplishments of local Bishop Paiute Tribal members in their efforts to establish and develop the groundbreaking center. Marty G. Meeden, Council Member of the California Teachers Association, also presented a keynote on the importance of education for Native Americans.
The Bishop Campus is honored to have amazing educational partners and is looking forward to next year’s event!
