Grand County School District’s Native American Club and the recently appointed club leader, Ricky Begaye, welcomed Moab area community members to join them in celebration and ceremony for Indigenous Peoples Day on October 14. An estimated 75–100 people attended, including city and school representatives.
The event was hosted at the Youth Garden Project. Navajo tea, Navajo tacos and fry bread were shared. Bea Shonie cooked a large pot of beans and prepared dough for the fry bread, with which kids were taught how to pad out the dough and fry it.
President of the Parent Committee of the club Conrad Yanito discussed club involvement. City Councilman Jason Taylor read a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Joette Langianese, declaring the second Monday of October 2024 as Indigenous Peoples Day. A candlelight ceremony was held to remember and honor Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives.
Begaye describes Indigenous Peoples Day as an opportunity to reflect on past events that have impacted and are important to Indigenous peoples, as well as a chance to cultivate awareness of Indigenous communities in the present day. The event was also a chance for Begaye, who stepped into the role in mid-September, to introduce himself to the community, foster connections and welcome questions.
“I am native (Dinè), I am here to advocate for Indigenous tribes…I’m here to support them and they are here to support me,” Begaye said.
The Native American Club is funded through Title VI federal grants via the Department of Education and is intended to support and empower Indigenous students. The club was established approximately fifteen years ago by a Grand County High School student. The club was student-run until Cora Shonie, a GCHS alumni, was hired as club leader. Shonie held that position for ten years, stepping away from the position in 2018.
The club lay dormant for some time. Jeremy Spaulding, community coordinator and Title VI coordinator for Grand County School District, said in an interview that the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant cause of the pause; he noted that the pandemic’s affect on the Navajo people contributed to the absence of applications for the leader position.
In 2022, the position was filled by another GCHS alumni who helped further build the club. Shortly after, Shonie and the parent committee acted as interim leaders while the club looked to fill the position again.
Over the past few years, the club has grown to develop a middle school program and is currently working on developing a program for elementary school students. Begaye relays that the club has a different focus for the three age groups: play for elementary students, identity and pride for middle school students and pathways for high school students.
The students are known for their community presence, which includes Navajo taco sales, fundraisers at art festivals and sporting events and more. The club, in partnership with the BEACON Afterschool Program, meets once a week after school with occasional lunchtime programming.
“[The club is] a safe haven for Native students to learn about cultural history, about craft and art, to learn about clans, to learn language and to connect with each other,” Spaulding explained.
Spaulding expressed his excitement over Begaye stepping into the position, since Begaye has been working with and for Indigenous people in Utah and the Four Corners area for many years.
“There’s a lot of experience working with teenagers,” Spaulding said. “We’re excited to have him engage and bring his experience and his love of science to our students.”
Begaye wants to help students continue to make connections with the greater Indigenous communities as well as the Moab community at large. This past weekend, club youth that were able to attend the Red Canyon Powwow were granted free admission.
“I like to use people’s background experience to teach them, to see what their interests are and focus on that,” Begaye said. He considers himself a jack-of-all-trades and is equipped to help students find individualized avenues for exploration and identity discovery.
Starting in November, Begaye will be hosting Family Nights for Native families once a month. Spaulding said there are also early plans of developing mentorship opportunities from the older students to the younger students, creating a chance for older students to develop skills that can help build a resume, as well as help guide them into adulthood.
Spaulding encourages parents and guardians of Indigenous students to join the committee, giving voice to how grant funds can best be spent to support the students. Selections for President and Vice President of the Parent Committee are expected soon. Parent Committee meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month and are open to anyone who wants to support or learn about the club.
Additionally, Spaulding urges parents and guardians of students in the club to fill out and submit a 506 Form if they have not already. The 506 Forms document participation in the club and enable the club to secure future funding.
Begaye emphasizes that the club is a community program and that people are welcome to reach out to him with questions, even if they are questions that they may feel embarrassed to ask.
“Everyone uses the term, ‘Never judge a book by its cover,’ but I always say, ‘Never judge my journal,’” Begaye offered. “We are constantly adding things and we are always seeing new things added to it….You can’t just read one of my journals and know who I am. Over time we learn different things.”
Inquiries, ideas, opportunities and donations for the Native American Club are all welcome and can be sent to Ricky Begaye at begayer@grandschools.org. More information about the club and upcoming events can be found in the Title VI Newsletter and on the Grand County School District’s website.
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