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American Indian parent committee presents annual report, honors program plans and events
Summary
Forest Lake’s American Indian Parent Advisory Committee reported program goals, events and student activities, and announced a May 5 honoring ceremony and other family engagement events.
The district’s American Indian Parent Advisory Committee (APAC) presented its annual report to the Forest Lake Area Schools board on Feb. 20, highlighting cultural programming, outreach and plans for family engagement.
APAC co-chair Heidi Wieberg outlined the committee’s goals: increase academic achievement for American Indian students, expand program services to all elementary sites, grow the advisory council and increase staff capacity for culturally appropriate instruction. The committee said its work includes the federal American Indian education program and a complementary Minnesota state program that expanded district services about a decade ago.
Wieberg said APAC supports both curriculum connections and community events. The committee cited several ongoing and upcoming activities: twice-monthly cultural beading classes (11–17 participants typically, ages first grade through adults), mobile Little Free Library collections focused on indigenous-authored books, a third-grade curriculum tie-in to Minnesota Native American tribes, a planned Ojibwe star-story night and a PK–12 honoring ceremony on May 5 that will recognize students’ academic achievement. APAC said 12 seniors will be included in this year’s honoring ceremony and that the committee has its largest delegation to the NIA conference on March 19 at Mystic Lake.
APAC also described liaison work by American Indian education coordinator and liaison Theo Marcel, who the committee said now visits secondary schools twice monthly and elementary sites monthly to mentor students, monitor well-being and affirm indigenous identity. The committee described activities including Ojibwe creation stories, indigenous medicines and wild rice and maple-sugaring lessons tied to Earth science standards.
Wieberg said APAC recently adopted the district’s land acknowledgment, naming the Dakota and Ojibwe nations and noting treaties of 1825 and 1837. The committee also reported a parent survey used to guide programming and higher family participation in events. APAC invited board members to the May 5 honoring ceremony and to other events.
Board members thanked APAC for the presentation. The transcript does not show a formal board vote on APAC’s report during the portion of the meeting captured here; the committee referenced a compliance vote that would occur later in the meeting agenda.
