Building new hope for Native America through education



By Jackie Bissley

As with any teenagers on graduation day, the emotions come in waves-mixtures of excitement, apprehension, nostalgia, and pride. But these were no ordinary commencement exercises taking place on June 5 at the Glorieta Conference Center in northern New Mexico. The first graduating class of the Native American Preparatory School (NAPS) has been busy-defying the statistics that only 3 percent of all Native American high school graduates will continue their higher education. Come September, these 22 students representing 13 nations, the Class of 1999, will all be freshmen at colleges and universities across the country.

Located a few miles from the small town of Rowe, 38 miles southeast of Santa Fe, the NAPS campus lies in a serene valley nestled between the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Pecos River. Established in 1995 by Richard Ettinger, son of the founder of Prentice Hall publishing company, for the purpose of helping young Native Americans enter Ivy League colleges, the school acts as a bridge spanning two worlds-the oral-experiential cultures of Native America and Western academia.

NAPS challenges students with a demanding curriculum in biology, math and chemistry. American history, however, is taught from a Native perspective, and students read contemporary literature from notable Indian authors, such as Louise Erdrich and N. Scott Momaday. But NAPS isn't just about equipping Native Americans with the education necessary for entering corporate boardrooms. The school's greatest achievement may be that it infuses young people with a sense of empowerment and purpose.

"The best thing about NAPS is the attitude," says student Wazipan Garriott, a Lakota from South Dakota. "Back home there's no hope. There's potential but nothing happens." Feeling unprepared for the rigors of university, this aspiring architect (who has already been accepted to Yale) came here as a post-graduate. "Good study habits and writing skills-I didn't think I was given those from my school on the rez. But it's not just the academics, this was my first time off the reservation, so instead of taking a big leap, this is like I've taken a bunch of little jumps. Before, I didn't feel I had the confidence to go to university. But I do now."

As NAPS works its way to the bottom of a $10 million challenge grant, awarded by the Educational Foundation of America, the next hurdle will be establishing a well-funded permanent endowment to ensure there are many more graduating classes like this one. The school, whose students receive full scholarships from private, foundation, and corporate sponsors, hopes to raise twice as many dollars over the next five years. But that is for later. Today has its own rewards for the giddy class, resplendent in their traditional outfits adorned with the school colors, purple and silver.

As the graduation ceremony comes to a close, students toss their caps into the air and hug each other in celebration. Before heading home to their reservations for the summer, the senior class gathers one last time for a group photograph. In this singular moment, family members and friends get the first look at a new generation of Native American leaders. And as students scatter in four directions, piling into the backs of pick-up trucks and cars, a renewed sense of pride palpably envelopes the Pecos Valley.

"This school truly has a lot of leaders in it," says freshman student Rae Cisneros. "NAPS is all about the future and about changing things for the better and not dwelling on what has happened. When all the students are in a room together, there's power."

FYI: (505) 988-7555
www.naprep.org


Copyright ©1999 Cowboys & Indians


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