Tag: NIEA

Hopi candidate Nikishna Polequaptewa for NIEA board

On By Matthew Sakiestewa GilbertIn AnnouncementsLeave a comment

The following post was originally published on the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) website: http://niea.org/Convention/Board-Elections.aspx. NIEA board member elections will take place at the this year’s NIEA Convention & Tradeshow in Albuquerque, NM, October 26-30.

NIEA members can also vote by absentee ballot. Click here (scroll to the bottom of the page) for more information.

I have known Nikishna Polequaptewa for the past 4 years, and I have written about his accomplishments in a previous post. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for him and the work that he is doing with and for Native people.  NIEA and its members would be very fortunate to have Polequaptewa on the Board of Directors.

Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert

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2011 Board Nominee
Nikishna Polequaptewa
Hopi

“I envision a meaningful shift toward a higher percentage of college educated tribal administrators, dignitaries, business owners, operators, managers, and executives that will have the ability to make informed decisions that will promote Indian self-sufficiency and strengthen tribal sovereignty.”

NIKISHNA POLEQUAPTEWA is a devoted Hopi tribal member and Native education advocate. Through his innovative outreach and retention programs, he has set a standard of excellence for programs involving access, outreach, and retention to higher education for Native students across the country.

Nikishna’s commitment to education and academic achievement was evident long before he attended college. He was a participant in the California Baptist University’s University Bridge Program (1998- 1999), and then in the University of California‘s, Riverside’s High School-University Program the following year (1999- 2000). In 2000, he graduated as class president from Sherman Indian High School and continued his educational pursuits at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). While there, he continued to actively contribute to outreach and retention programs for American Indian students holding roles such as the American Indian Student Association President and Director of American Indian Summer Institute in Computer Science, a UCI American Indian academic resource program. He also reinstated and coordinated the UCI Pow Wow. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Analysis and Design with a minor in Information and Computer Science in 2005 from the University of California, Irvine.

Nikishna obtained his Master’s Degree from Central Washington University (CWU) with a Master’s of Science in the Resource Management Program in 2007. While at CWU, he served as a research assistant (2005- 2007) and as a Program Manager for the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians (2007). That same year, he became founding Director of the American Indian Resource Program at the University of California, Irvine (2007).

Nikishna has earned several honors including: Special Congressional Recognition (through U.S. House of Representative Ken Calvert and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer), the Presidential Recognition Award (through former President Bill Clinton), the Native American 40 Under 40 Award (2009); and has been successful in securing multiple grants for the American Indian Resource Program and other projects.

Nikishna holds numerous community and leadership positions in organizations such as the UCI Campuswide Climate Council, the American Indian Children’s Council, AISES Chapter (President), the University of California, American Indian Counselors and Recruiters Association (Chair), Nakwatsvewat Institute (Board Chairman), Chancellor’s Advisor Committee (Diversity Chair), and the American Indian Scholarship Fund (Vice Chair). He also holds national memberships in the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (Lifetime Sequoyah Fellow), Society for Advancement for Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, and the National Indian Education Association and holds state memberships in the California Alliance for Minority participation, Inter-tribal Colligate Alliance, the American Indian Chamber of Commerce, and the California Indian Education Association.

Source: http://niea.org/Convention/Board-Elections.aspx

Hopi educator Sahmie Sunshine Wytewa NIEA board of directors candidate

On By Matthew Sakiestewa GilbertIn American Indian Studies, Hopi education, Hopi news of interest2 Comments
Sahmie Sunshine Wytewa, 2010 NIEA Board of Directors candidate

I am pleased to announce that Sahmie Sunshine Wytewa, an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe and lifelong educator, is an official candidate for the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) board of directors.  Wytewa comes to the NIEA with an incredible amount of experience, a passion for the advancement of Indian education, a close connection to the Hopi community, and an impeccable work ethic. NIEA members will have the opportunity to vote for candidates at the upcoming NIEA Convention held in San Diego, California, on October 7-10, 2010. Below is Wytewa’s personal statement on the NIEA website: http://www.niea.org/events/board.php

Sahmie Sunshine Wytewa, Hopi: Ms. Wytewa is a prime candidate for NIEA board membership given her strengths as a practicing educator, educational background, and her strong desire to provide leadership in education. In addition to her professional qualities, she is also an involved community member of the Hopi tribe who has endured the challenges of balancing her culture and educational pursuits. As a mother, Sahmie has taken great care in providing the experiences of traditional values and real-life expectations for her children.

As an educator, Ms. Wytewa understands the significance of accountability in academic achievement and the inequalities that are reflected in the quality of education and misrepresentation of Native populations in regards to academic performance. Working in underperforming schools going through School Improvement, she has the working knowledge of current initiatives in educational reform. Her skills as a teacher have allowed her firsthand insight into the trends in achievement, learning modes of children, and research-based strategies that promote academic growth.

Ms. Wytewa’s continued professional growth is the direct result of her desire to improve the quality of education and learning experiences for all students. Channeling her efforts to further develop reform in Indian education, Sahmie has chosen the course of advancement through leadership. She is committed to working in collaboration with like-minded individuals or groups towards student-centered reform.

With strong ties to her community, Sahmie has an authentic link giving her the advantage of providing background in an otherwise vague theme of Indian education. It is with these combined strengths and efforts, that Ms. Wytewa can be a true asset to the NIEA board in providing many perspectives of education.