American Indian Education Department
Office
St. Francis High School
3325 Bridge Street NW
St. Francis, MN 55070
Contact Us
Haley Dagle
American Indian Equity Coordinator
763-213-1575
haley.dagle@isd15.org
Lisa Cicha
American Indian Education Liaison
763-213-1609
lisa.cicha@isd15.org
Form 506
Form 506, which is the Title VI ED 506 Indian Student Eligibility Certification Form, is to be completed by a parent/guardian and returned to the student's school. In order to apply for a formula grant under the Indian Education Program, the school must determine the number of Indian students enrolled.
American Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee (AIEPAC)
The AIEPAC serves in an advisory role to St. Francis Area Schools to ensure that the educational and cultural needs of American Indian students are being met. High school American Indian students, parents, guardians, grandparents, foster parents, school staff, and community members interested in supporting American Indian Education are encouraged to attend; your input is very important.
Meetings will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. AIEPAC will decide upon the availability of an in-person meeting on a monthly basis.
2021-22 School Year Meeting Dates
- November 16, 2021
- December 14, 2021
- January 18, 2022
- February 22, 2022
- March 22, 2022
- April 19, 2022
- May 31, 2022
If meetings are virtual, invitations have gone out to all known AIE parent email addresses. Other people wishing to attend can request an invitation by sending an email to indianeducation@isd15.org.
Agenda Topics
Email agenda topics to indianeducation@isd15.org at least five days prior to the meeting.
Fall Gathering
sponsored by St. Francis Area Schools American Indian Education
December 4 , 2021
The West End Singers will be performing! They are an Ojibwe Group from the Red Lake Nation and have been singing and drumming together for 30 years.
Robert Rice will talk on wild rice harvesting and his company Pow Wow Grounds will be catering the meal. Robert has been harvesting wild rice since 1974.
November was National Native American Heritage Month!
It is a month dedicated to celebrating and honoring Native ancestry, culture, and traditions. This dedication was started in 1990 and has happened annually since 1994. The 2021 Presidential Proclamation was posted on October 29.
In November, American Indian Education staff member read to Early Childhood classes. The book is called We are Grateful by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frane Lessac, and it has some Cherokee language in it.
District elementary students made posters to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month and build awareness.
St. Francis Area Schools staff Lisa Cicha, Serina Gbakoyah, Haley Dagle, and Donna Patterson from the Minnesota Department of Education (pictured above L-R) visited the Red Dress Project at the College of St. Catherine. Metis artist Jaime Black created the outdoor project. The project is to mark the absence and evoke the presence of indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or have been murdered. Visit Black’s website for more information.
Opportunities
Minnesota Historical Society Presents:
A Conversation with Denise Lajimodiere
Video Available via Minnesota Historical Society Facebook Page
Join elder, educator, author, and artist, Denise Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) and curator Benjamin Gessner in a conversation about revitalizing cultural arts and transferring knowledge to a new generation of makers. Lajimodiere is skilled in Mazinibakajige, the Ojibwe art of birch bark biting. Hear about this unique art form and the work Lajimodiere did during her Native American Artist-in-Residency with MNHS. View this video to learn more about birch bark biting with Denise Lajimodiere.
Two-Spirit or Native LGBTQIA+
Friends from the Dakota Child & Family Clinic invite Native youth ages 13-18 from across Minnesota to join a virtual discussion to share what you need to feel supported as a young Two-Spirit or Native LGBTQIA+ community member or friend.
Meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, 5:00-6:30 pm CST | ZOOM Video Call
To RSVP or learn more contact: support@dakotachildandfamily.org
or 651-209-8640
Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society has abundant opportunities for to delve into American Indian culture and history. Below are a few examples of what you can find through the MNHS website MNHS.ORG.
LEARN WITH NORTHERN LIGHTS E-BOOK
The award-winning Northern Lights Interactive eBook is accessible for kids, parents, teachers, and history lovers! The only comprehensive digital curriculum for Minnesota Studies used in schools across the state, the Interactive eBook explores the diverse history of our state through stories, videos, audio narration, and more to engage children and anyone curious about Minnesota history.
DISCOVER NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS
Watch short videos featuring artists from the MNHS Native American Artists-in-Residence Program. NAAIR artists, who work in traditional art forms such as birch bark, beadwork, and basket weaving, share how their residencies have advanced their understanding of their art.