Stone Child hosts conference including county commissioner from Houston

Stone Child College at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation hosted an educational conference this week with high-profile visitors including a county commissioner from Houston returning to the college for this week's conference.

Harris County, Texas, Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who came to Stone Child last fall for meetings on creating a cultural exchange and community partnership, participated in the inaugural Anishinaabe-Neiyo Education Conference Tuesday through Thursday and is scheduled to participate in a roundtable discussion at the college with Stone Child President Cory Sangrey-Billy and Chippewa Cree Business Committee member Calvin Jilot today.

The discussion will focus on exchanging innovative best practices for minority health care, economic development and public safety, a release from the college said. Among the topics to be discussed is the innovative Employ2Employer program, which Garcia recently presented at the White House. The program seeks to lower barriers to employment for people facing significant hurdles and help them access services for a better future.

Watch for more on the roundtable in Monday's edition of Havre Daily News.

The release said today's roundtable is expected to draw national attention and support for initiatives including academic, apprenticeship and job training, and job creation opportunities between Stone Child College, Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation and Harris County Precinct Two.

Along with Harris, speakers at the educational conference included academic and activist Henrietta Mann, Ph.D., the inaugural president of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College at Weatherford, Oklahoma. Her previous teaching career included working was director and professor of The Department of Native American Studies University of Montana and is a professor emeritus at Montana State University.

Kalvin White, Ph.D, program manager at the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education, which promotes and fosters lifelong learning for the Navajo People and protects the cultural integrity and sovereignty of the Navajo Nation, also was a featured participant.

Educators, educational administrators, and people who have devoted themselves to a career in education were invited to attend, a release said. During the three-day event, attendees listened to keynote speakers and presenters dedicated to their craft. They participated in breakout sessions that were specific to Native American student education, outreach, cultural understanding and teaching in classrooms. They were provided a hearty breakfast and lunch daily. OPI renewal credits were offered to those interested.

Stone Child College organizers were excited to facilitate this event and look forward to many more annual conferences to come, the release said.