“One of the reasons Indian children experience difficulty in schools is that educators traditionally have attempted to insert culture into education instead of inserting education into culture.”  Cornel Pewewardy 

Resilience in Something Else (RISE)

 

The word RISE with a braid of sweet grass under it and a tipi and headdress


RISE logo by Jodi Buffalo

 

The RISE Native Youth Leadership group was created during the COVID-19 pandemic due to students' need for support and connection in our socially distanced time. This group has fostered relationships across the state of Montana and continues to thrive due to the invaluable opportunities for leadership development and relationship building. One of the main focuses of RISE is connection with personal culture as well as heritage, the students uphold these values each meeting.

Meetings are biweekly, every other Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom. All are welcome to join! 

RISE has created opportunities for youth like:

  • Committees of action with RISE
  • A permanent position on the MACIE board
  • Youth Panel inclusion at conferences
  • Youth voice opportunities of all types

For more information, please contact:

Michele Henson michele.henson@mt.gov


2025 RISE Tribal Education Summit

Wisdom from our ancestors: Hope and purpose for our future

April 9-11, 2025 - East Helena, MT

 

Registration is free and open! All students in grades 8-12 are welcome to attend!

 

The Tribal Student Achievement and Relations Unit, in partnership with the RISE Native Youth Leadership group, is pleased to host the 2025 RISE Tribal Education Summit.

Students, school staff, Knowledge Keepers, and Tribal Leaders, are invited to join us in a shared commitment to support Montana’s students. All are welcome! We hope to see you there!

For more information and to register, contact Michele Henson (Michele.Henson@mt.gov) or Matt Bell (Matthew.Bell@mt.gov).

2025 RISE Summit Logo Art


Cree Seal 
FP Seal
Blkft Seal

 

Guidance on Facilitating Local Education Agency (LEA) Requests for Effective Tribal Communication 

 

The Tribal Relations and Resiliency Unit was developed to build relationships and understandings within the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) and Montana school districts to incorporate Tribal voice, share resources, and build connections through consultation on matters affecting American Indian students. It has since evolved to be the Tribal Student Achievement and Relations Unit (TSAR). Within ESSA requirements, we will work to support school districts and tribal leaders to work collaboratively for the benefit of our youth. ESSA gives us an excellent opportunity to re-envision our educational systems in Indian country.

In conjunction with the ESSA approach, we will also follow the traditional tribal protocol of consultation through the guidance of Elders. We have convened an Elder and Culture Wisdom Council for guidance in our efforts. Taking their direction as we work to solidify self-identity, holistic wellness and knowledge sharing from these corresponding doctoral level indigenous educators. Within our team, we have added the School Mental Health Support Services Coordinator tasked to provide wellness and holistic support pertinent in a student's educational journey. It is important for all children today to be supported in the mental health and wellness. Through these relationships and partnership, we work to lift the resiliency, wisdom and beauty of our indigenous people at every level within OPI and local educational agencies (LEA's).

CONSULTATION between TRIBAL NATIONS and SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Every Student Succeeds Act Tribal Consultation Pre-Planning Tool for Tribes

MONTANA OPI - TITLE FUNDS - Verification of Tribal Consultation

Meaningful Local Engagement Under ESSA - Handbook for LEA and School Leaders

Graduate Profile Development: Engaging Montana Tribes & American Indians

FB Seal

NC Seal

Which Covered Programs Require Consultation:

The following is a list of current programs which require an affected LEA to consult with Indian tribes or tribal organizations prior to submitting either a plan or application for covered programs:

  • Title I, Part A (Improving Basic Programs Operated by State and Local Educational Agencies)
  • Title I, Part C (Education and Migratory Children)
  • Title I, Part D (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk)
  • Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction)
  • Title III, Part A (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act)
  • Title IV, Part A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants)
  • Title IV, Part B (21st Century Community Learning Centers)
  • Title V, Part B, subpart 2 (Rural and Low-Income School Program)
  • Title VI, Part A, subpart 1 (Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies)

Consultation will create opportunities for LEA's and tribal leaders to work together on behalf of American Indian and Alaska Native students, ensuring that this process drives positive outcomes for administrators, Indian tribes and tribal representatives, and most importantly, Native students. 

 MONTANA OPI - Verification of Tribal Consultation for Title Funds



The Shared Strategies to Support American Indian Students document is a direct result of Tribal Consultation and community participation.  Through a series of conversations with OPI staff, Tribal Leaders and their departments, community members, language instructors, school staff and youth, we collaborated to identity effective strategies schools may consider implementing to support youth, and strengthen school and community supports for years to come. 
 
These efforts have place-based traditional strategies of success while being informed by federal guidance on the use of ESSER III funds.  We wanted to gather skilled and knowledgeable stakeholders to share the good things happening in their schools and communities and share it across the state as it pertains to ENRICHMENT. 
 
Academic enrichment provides an opportunity for inclusion and educational evolution as schools adapt and braid philosophies, methodologies and practices that can work for our American Indian students to help center and balance the educational life journey they are on. 

Tribal Consultation 

and 

Our Collaborative Efforts 

In October of 2021, OPI staff convened cultural elders and knowledge keepers from every tribal nation in Montana and developed the Elder and Cultural Wisdom Council (ECWC), which in September 2022 was renamed to the Knowledge Keepers of Indigenous Nations (KKIN). OPI staff assisted KKIN to organize themselves as a collective group and create avenues for knowledge sharing and consultation to those who seek it. 

KKIN continues to operate as its own seperate entity of Knowledge Keepers and provides consultation to the OPI and other organizations seeking assistance with cultural approaches to support holistic youth development and offer all other forms of indigenous knowledge.