Just as in any real town the community of the school play is just a in a man's role in the community. Which is something that the community center on because there is no you know, what what what what else do small community center on their school system and this of course is good. Of course the role of the community of the school in the community. I'm sure you can get a hundred different philosophies on that. I guess basically what we try to do is reflect the wishes of the community as much as possible. That's Daryl canarelli Middle School principal one who considers the turtle Mountain Indian reservation is home. This is one program in a series called our hometown exploring the character of life in small North Dakota communities. It's produced by Minnesota Public Radio Station k c c m with funds provided by the North Dakota committee for the Humanities in public issues on today's program school and college administrators parents and students talk about the education on the reservation. And you also hear your views on the changing role of the family and it look to the Future. The interviewer is John gets D now Dennis Jerome superintendent of the turtle Mountain Community School. I feel we're doing as well. Has any other school in the state or any level 1 there's 50 and level 1 schools in North Dakota and Belcourt is one of them. I think if we were not that a unique school with having a lot of Indian students in the school, I feel that we would be Doing a superb job. But since we have the has the engine kits in our school, then perhaps we're doing a better-than-average job and still should be doing a lot more for the kids, but we have Align, which barrier let's say even though many of the people under 40 45 years of age don't really speak the michif language. They're still left the pitch of English involved and with the with this we've had them. Ah Consultants come down from the Pittsburgh University who are working with our school system in their Studies have shown. That this has some effect on their reading and they're speaking even though there any time they take a culture free IQ test. They ranked as high as the control schools that they use. but the on an achievement test they don't achieve is high because of the Mischief die like that they speak. I I see the job here as an important one. I feel very strongly about my profession as an educator and and I see the challenges here and I also see the great possibilities in education here in this community in various ways. Number one. I think it's occasional system itself is on the verge of becoming very excellent. I think that's going to be the word to use it's not there yet, but it has all the capabilities and earmarks of being a model education system for at least four Indian communities and for the communities in state of North Dakota and I like to be part of it. I also have personal professional feelings about do you work in a place where everything comes easy on and there's lots of highs or is there a place where you can work in because you feel needed and and because there's a place to go with what you doing. How do you feel about the education system is doing a good job for you youngsters. I think so, I think maybe about the best education there is I think they really have a good school and now They're always trying to improve. I know the follow-through has started to know a few years back and I think it's been a real good program for the little ones it his my little boy now was in the first grade what is started and he wasn't doing all that much and follow-through is helped him enough that is to competition. I guess, you know, they work at their own level and Randy right now is the highest in his Grady was last year and so far he is this year the kids kind of work on their own in the can on their own and they're not held back at all there. And the ones that are working behind their you know, they have more help and it seems to work pretty well at the school and the kids seem to work harder. They are always competing against each other who can get so far and each book or what book there in or something and it seems to work pretty good in the classroom. I've worked with the teacher in the school. I've never had any personal contact with him and the working part of that. They seem to be pretty nice. And it's but dumb as far as personal contact with him. I guess it is pretty isolated because everybody after hours they all pretty keep to their own group of people. I mean, it's I guess they did say there's three groups of people on the reservation of teachers the doctors and the people that live on the reservation and they pretty well stick to their own. There are a few of the teachers that you don't have are pretty well in contact with the people. I know we have one family at the church there that's so you know what came over to our place and comes over to different ones that they're in that they all get together with the other people pretty well, but I think there should be more if so, I think they really like each other if they got to know, you know a lot more people but I don't know why it's like that is the average child the average engine child. You know what kinda engine are you I bet they couldn't even tell you because they don't teach him. So they don't teach our children enough self-confidence. We're not all born to be a college graduates. Some of us. I think the children who are good artists should be encouraged to be a good artist. It should be recognized for that. The children are very good at being mechanics issue because we're not all born to be Scholars. Change in factor using right now in our school without the parent's permission for the children that are involved in it experimental programs that they're usually don't play thousand United States. And then they wonder why the hell take it switch back at the program fails this year though. Switchback is Bandon way of teaching and our children have lost two years. The little school. I don't really like they're using us for guinea pigs. I feel it's an experiment. But like I like the idea myself, but some of the people in the community don't like it. They feel like we're just being used for an experiment if it doesn't work. Well there goes one year for us. But the rest of the school Unified School, they have some really good teacher saying they have lot equipment and I really Library. I'm just a lot of different opportunities for people playing I've taken a lot of courses that I think would really help me get into college and to find a job. Even if I could make a college right away. I have lots. Of course that could help me find a job. The high school facilities are excellent going to school spend an hour really have a better experience than any other school when I was small I went to elementary school. I didn't really like it there when we after half the year and the first grade we came back here. I like it a lot better. The teachers were so the nicer and well. The facilities here are better. It's just a nice of high school and Elementary interfere with my family. Was founded with the purpose of bringing education to the reservation are mean. The age of our students are his over 30 and these are the students and who in the past. I mean the people in the past were ignored more so than the younger students are being today. So we brought we bring the courses in the creek alone and the degrees to the reservation so that the people can attend classes and work at the same time. Making it convenient for them to go to school. The younger Indian students graduated high school. Now most of them do go to institutions away from the reservation. So the course is we're offering our courses that will apply towards degree. So as far as offering a curriculum that's different than the other institutions as far as requirements. I'd say it is no different. However, we tried last year and we succeeded to some some some degree. We tried to Implement into the entire academic program the Indian Heritage of our community into the each course, we centered it around being in Union Union Union Viewpoint, which is different than like a student going to some other institution where it is the the Anglo-Saxon viewpoint. But as far as course content structure, we feel is necessary that our students get the same quality education that they get at other Institution. The only difference being that it is hopefully centered around the Indian Viewpoint the c o p program for opportunities program at the University of North Dakota. Get some good things. They most of the teachers in our schools are graduates out of these programs. but when a man looks at the universe how the university handled the money in the amount of money they got Let me look at the amount of students that graduated sure. They graduated 25 through the students know but they had millions of dollars to do that with that money could have been if it was handled right here. I think we could have graduated hundred teachers hundreds of Administrators. And today we could have had those people holding the jobs at the non-indians are holding and they could be living right here with their families getting that money circulating it in the community where it should be circulated, but that's what the federal government more professional training. No more Carpenters no more welders. No more. beauticians plumbers We need those people. In fact, those people get higher wages when they do get him play, but they don't get employed around the reservation and they don't lead reservation to get the training and a state. Higher for those people who want to go into those fields. I think that should be made available to them to it, but not the emphasis on plumbers and Carpenter said it was because the jobs were those people aren't here today. Maybe we need to Palmer's sweet 15 Carpenters. We have those people already. Jobs for professional people are here teachers ministrative counselor. Social workers doctors lawyers. We don't have any lawyers judge. policeman those professional jobs through here today. We just got to have the people to put into them. What do you feel in your life is most important? I probably my kids. my family Extended family, I would say that's probably I think the whole the whole motivating factor behind anything that anything that I do or anything I get involved in is my children. I would have to say probably that's the one biggest influence on on my thinking I shudder to think that my kids are going to end up on welfare rolls. I think that's one of the biggest fears as a as a parent that I have. I have five children. sometimes yeah, you can make enemies at the people around here quick like that. It is a fight in school. This one guy walk up the other guy and he says I heard you said you could take me instead fighting. A special kind of people around here. Sometimes did you got to have a special technique to get along with him? I take the kids out. Respect someone who fights a lot but you know that they don't actually really like the guy like the girls my age if somebody gets mad at somebody now and they just happened tell a friend or somebody could just they might overhear it instead of keeping it quiet. Go pass it around till finally. It just gets it to big big argument and people are just turning against each other, but they know what two people do. So. Just wait until those two people do something then they'll all be friends again. So they side up its problem when you get to Big side is just no Recreation at all for teenage kids. They've got dances they got a lot of dance is going on, but they're not supervise all that good that they're Maybe they all they have to do is drive around, you know, and there's no place to go. They've got one show Hall in Rolla. But she have two shows a week and you know, other than that, there's just not much for them to do this. Did you have a bowling alley but it doesn't seem to be to go over that well, but it is doing the driver on. They said they look at cars going by and then they get out and go by 4. Cuz all the kids in Belcourt andrologo driving up and down the street, you know, most the kids they grow up and go away. You don't decide they are leaving this place for good that they always end up coming back. I think that's just not the same anymore. I mean people always come back home. You always have this urge to go home and I still go home. I don't think I'll move back there. I may someday when I'm retired or something, but I I always have that feeling I wonder what it would be. Like if I didn't look back and I think these people do do come back and stay I think probably it's in in the background in the The Indian way of life, maybe they're our community and they want to be part of their own community so I can back to their own Community all the family I've ever met a really close. They have a lot of family ties. I want to go to school and finish my education make something of myself, but then I want to come back and helping people here on his face. So that's what Almost Famous. Trying to do triangle education. Go back to their own reservations and help out their own people after I graduate. I'm going to UND Trying like this what they got this one program in Med. It's called Indians into medicine. and not going on that and I find to get my I'm going to a field of medicine and then come back and work around here. Why would you want to come back? Well mostly like I like I like this place I grew up for since I've been here since 1961 living here and I just like the land I like the people. And I just want to work here want to stay here come back and live in this community 90-degree Anya. How about Yu-Gi-Oh? What are you going to do when you get out of school? Come back by myself at school. What are the name is what do you like about living? How do you spend all your time? But the worst of all now that I know for sure when a woman started to work that's when the kids start to go wild really while doing the damage to the neighbors to anybody that I'm old sitting home. I can't take a chance to go outside and you don't know what they going to do run over me or do something. That's one thing that I like. Most of all that's why I reason because a woman didn't stay home and raise our kids now. Or they're out there someplace. She also working pretending working and there's a big fat guys laying around don't work can make a living for the family or these women that have babies without a husband and another fat man goes and if they're not married nothing if something comes up with the man takes off that woman is getting checks. That's one reason. I wish I would run the law for about five years you'd see all these shackles that behave themselves and all those that has babies that work for their living. I wouldn't give him anything when you're young you can do a lot when you roll your cast you got to take a lot. Best General haul but when you're young you don't have to take nothing. You can work any kind of work. You can be educated. None education the results were put up and it don't take an education to do all love works. What's the difference know, you're so damn greedy when jealous? That's what it is. Because the man runs the money that much money I supposed to drink it up or something and they want to earn their own money. So they can do as they please. That's the biggest problem now. Cuz the Woman No Cry to go in the bar themselves and drink if your man is working while your man won't give you no money to go drink it up unless you be with him and how many men would do that? Not very many. Just my chakra would do that but not a good method. Talk to an older lady yesterday. You said she was a little bit upset about the way things were going on. The reservation seat. She said that families are strong as they used to be in the women are out working on. This should be home taking care of the kids and things like that. How would you react to the statement? I think I would probably have to agree in a sentence with her because like I said yesterday when we were sitting with my mother talking about the good old days. It was that real close family that we had where we were always there together where the mother was home and all of us children were there with our chores to do and we had responsibilities. But at the same time I have to sympathize with with the lady that you spoke to yesterday because I feel that times are changing and that we're just changing with those times and saddest it might be and even if it does affect us as a group of people, I think that more women today are accepting the fact that they should work or that they have to work or that they want to work and they're not the babysitter housekeeper that maybe our grandparents are parents were. I know young women today who are not content in that role and I imagine there's a little womens live influence in there somewhere, but I myself I I would like to see the good old days, but I know they're gone or our families are close. Not only at me just found this but I think they're finally our close relationship with Encore seems like you're on the reservation. Everybody seems to be related to everybody, you know, but I think it's still. Course with most of the families that is not the closest like there was now that the younger people are going away and getting your education and coming back don't want to be told by their head. They are Graham around whoever is living what to do how to live their lives. Like they say at one time did you know without a back talk or in some cases? This isn't true anymore, but it isn't true in the younger families, but still usually when Grandma or grandpa said something that was a lie, you know any children? Listen to whatever they said you find two of them at. The relationship here is quite a bit different than in a white Society instead of saying well, this is second or third or fourth cousins. You just don't hear this over here. It's all answer uncle's grandma's or Grandpa's, you know media can have a whole bunch of I have a lot of people calling me uncle and yet they're actually children of my first cousins and I should be there second cousin but in a traditional way from here on their uncle and You'll find that they respect me by calling me this, you know, it's so many didn't have the gumption to get up and get more education than they did or they make something of themselves MRSA because they didn't have the individuality of always being told what to do, you know, and I think that the change is good. Oh, I think there's the loss of the closeness of being able to turn to someone when they need it because after once they break that while they don't actually break the tie but kind of get away from that closeness within the rest of family really are not that that willing to help them. I think a lot of them and my wife is my family. I'm right about your mother. Would you read that for me now? She's giving me life in the real. She has brought to me hear footsteps or mine to follow and her love I cherish for to have love from someone as special as her is to have everything ever possibly wanted. Thank you. I think there's going to be a lot of people moving from this area because it Did you just can you can't live in this small of an area with the number of people? I think there's somewhere around eight thousand people living on on this reservation. I don't think that the amount of people can provide for for themselves in such a small geographic area. There will be a few Industries coming in here, but I don't think we have the resources to Supply a number of Industries. I don't ever think that we could bring enough Industries to support the number of people we have do you think the government has a responsibility to live up to three days now and you think they will I still think that they all the Indian people something but I don't think they all the Indian people Federal monies for every no I think it's got to end sometime. I think with inflation going as it as it is mainly because of increased government spending. I think that they're going to have to decrease some of the federal programs to go out to Indian reservations to fight this inflation the one long-range goal of God right now in which I hopefully will put into effect in the very near future is in loan purchase program and we were intending to expand the boundaries of the reservation. I have a 3-year program online purchase now and which will soon be in effect and we hope to purchase as much land as we could open the next 3 years and they're not ready to find the boundaries of the reservation. get the night to Congress to redefine the boundaries of the reservation instead of a 6 by 12 or hopefully maybe a 15 by 30 or 10 by 20 which depending on the model and that we are able to purchase to think the people in this community have a unique outlook on life. No, I don't believe they have at least judging from my own family brothers and sisters know we don't have any I think we have for adopted a lot of the white man's culture where you where we want to get ahead buddy. So far. This becomes important to us to drive a car is important. I don't think it's chain. I don't think it's that much different than though white culture. changes with boys Everest Progressive struggle Mary Cornelius, one of the residents who considers the turtle Mountain Indian Reservation her home. This is one program in a series titled our hometown exploring the values and character of life in small North Dakota communities. These programs are produced by Minnesota Public Radio station kccm with funds provided by the North Dakota committee for the Humanities and public issues. The producers of the series are John ydstie Dennis Hamilton and Bill Sebring. You may purchase a cassette copy of this program by contacting kccm and care of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota 56560.