OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2001

Stephanie Hanna (O) 202/501-4633

INTERIOR SECRETARY ADVOCATES OUTSTANDING INDIAN EDUCATION

(PORTLAND) - On July 24, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton delivered a keynote address on Indian education at the annual conference of the National Indian School Boards Association.

In her remarks, she highlighted the strong commitment of the Administration to repairing and replacing Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools so that all Indian students could learn in a safe and healthy educational environment. The President's budget request for FY 2002 committed $292.5 million for school construction to replace six aging BIA schools as well as $161.6 million for upgrading health and safety features in existing schools. Secretary Norton noted that she was working closely with the Senate and House to urge that these critical programs be funded.

Norton also announced that when school starts in the Fall, the last five BIA schools will be connected to the Internet. At Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico this summer, more than 50 teachers from BIA schools are being trained to further incorporate computers in the classroom through Intel's "Teach to the Future" program. In addition, the Office of Indian Education will be providing culturally relevant lesson plans with Internet content and an Internet student publishing center and other web pages where Indian students can publish and share their work.

Norton praised the "amazing Indian spirit that dominates Indian life" and urged her audience to "take that same spirit into our classrooms, and reignite our teaching of math, science, communication skills and Indian languages and culture."

-DOI-