Roll Call - January 3, 2025

The Marty Indian School boys' basketball team from Marty, South Dakota, takes the court at the Lakota Nation Invitational tournament.

In the spring of 2024, Baca/Dlo’ay azhi Community School was selected by the National Parks Service and the National Park Foundation to participate in the 2024 Ornament Project. A collection of 58 trees with student-designed ornaments will represent the 56 states and territories with schools managed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education and the Department of Defense Education Activity.

The trees were on display the evening of the National Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2024. Four sixth-grade students - Makaya, Ryu, Ulijah and Ambrielle - and Baca staff represented the school and BIE at the tree lighting. The students enjoyed the trip and experienced some new things and foods — sushi, new fast food chains, a fancy dinner, riding on a plane, sky train, elevator, escalator, and taking a ride share for the first time.

Haskell Indian Nations University hosted its annual end-of-semester student art show, celebrating creativity across various disciplines. The exhibit featured impressive work from over 60 students enrolled in Design 1, Painting 1, Drawing 1 and 2, Figure Drawing, Art Appreciation, and English courses.

Submissions ranged from intricate beadwork to unique sculptures crafted from shoes, showcasing Haskell's talent and diversity. This year, the Lawrence Art Guild generously donated over $200 in prizes, awarding first, second and third-place winners and 10 honorable mentions. Each of the 13 recognized students received a one-year membership to the Art Guild’s Emerging Artist Program, granting access to workshops, studios and exhibition spaces to further their artistic growth.

Dennehotso Boarding School celebrated the holidays and hosted several events for students and families, including a gingerbread house-making night, a Christmas program, and the Dennehotso Community Parade.

The BIE Division of Acquisitions held an in-person division meeting in October following the close of fiscal year '24. The team met in Oklahoma City the week of October 21, and it was a great success. The team is remote and geographically located across the country, including Alaska, Hawaii, the southwest, the mid-west, and down south to Tennessee. Everyone enjoyed being in person.

Over the three days, the team worked through several internal presentations and team-building exercises to help increase communication and teamwork. There were also special guest presentations from BIE Director Tony Dearman and Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. On the final day, everyone met at Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma. Seeing its direct impact on the school and the students was fulfilling for the team.

The Bureau of Indian Education is planning NASIS training for the first half of 2025 and wants your topic suggestions! Is there something on which training hasn't been offered in a while? Do you have new staff who need training in particular areas? Tell us!

This is a very short, optional survey and should only take a few minutes.

The Bureau of Indian Education Indigenous Food Hubs encourages students and families to learn about nutrition, agriculture, Indigenous food culture and cooking inside and outside the classroom with Harvest of the Month.

Each monthly packet features a recipe, a coloring book page, and a nutrition and fact sheet focused on a different culturally relevant food in season. The Indigenous Food Hubs schools will also prepare at least one meal during the month that showcases that food, too.

Visit the Indigenous Food Hubs resources webpage on BIE.edu for more information.

GIVE HOPE

According to the National Institutes of Health, mental illnesses, defined as mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders, are very common in the United States. More than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. That adds up to 57.8 million people! Most likely, this means that most Americans have someone close to them struggling with mental health.

The more we normalize mental health conversations, the closer we can get to helping everyone live their best life. Regarding the mental wellness of individuals and communities, CFC charities are often on the frontlines, providing resources and life-saving care such as workshops, online resources and education, hotlines, professional therapists and doctors, and improvements to the community through collaborative spaces.

Here are a few examples of how when you GIVE HAPPY through the CFC, you can GIVE HOPE through charities working in the mental wellness cause area:

• Train first responders to identify better individuals suffering from mental episodes and at-risk behavior.
• Host summer camps for troubled children.
• Provide counseling services for veterans suffering from PTSD.

Attention School Leaders!

We’re looking for stories and photos to feature in our weekly Roll Call and on social media! Highlight the incredible things happening at your schools and celebrate your students, staff, and community with us.

Here are some exciting new opportunities to share:

• 🌟 Elementary School Teacher Day – January 16. Celebrate your incredible elementary teachers and their impact on students’ lives.
• 📚 100th Day of School. Share creative projects or events marking this milestone in the school year!
• 🎉 Positive New Year Habits – January. Showcase how your students or teachers are building positive habits to kick off the new year.
• 💻 Digital Learning Day – February 22. Share how your school embraces technology and digital learning innovation.
• 💖 Love Teaching Week – February 12–16. Spotlight the passion and dedication of your educators.
• 🙌 National Student Volunteer Day – February 17. Celebrate students making a difference in their communities through volunteerism.
• 🏀 Recreational Sports and Fitness Day – February 22. Show how your school promotes fitness and recreational activities.
• 🎨 National Arts Month – February. Feature student art projects and performances to celebrate creativity.
• 🗣️ Youth Leadership Month – February. Highlight student leaders and their contributions to your school community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to shine a light on your school’s successes and creativity. Send your submissions to lead@bie.edu or click the button below!

• Register for January 16 at 10:30 a.m. MT
• Register for January 23 at 10:30 a.m. MT
• Register for February 4 at 1 p.m. MT
• Register for February 11 at 11 a.m. MT

• January 7 - Integrated Pest Management Awareness
• January 8 - Clean Air Act Stationary Source and Refrigerant Management Requirements
• January 9 - Clean Water Act & Safe Drinking Water Act Requirements
• January 13 - Training Plan Overview Outline
• January 21 - Clean Water Act, Stormwater Pollution Prevention
• January 29 - Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, Tier II Chemical Reporting Awareness

• January 14 - ADA Compliance
• January 15 - OSHA 10 Courses
• January 16
• ADA Compliance
• Fire Door Inspection
• January 23 - Bed Bugs