06/27/2024
On a positive note, a portrait I took in 2019 is about a person making real change and is the recipient of the Milken Educator Award : Indian Education Coordinator Julie Cajune has helped Ronan Public Schools on the Flathead Reservation in Ronan become a leader in Indian education. As a product of the reservation herself, Miss Cajune has worked to improve fellow educators' attitudes about the nature of the Indian content in their curricula. Previously, as the first-ever curriculum coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Miss Cajune played a crucial role in creating the annual "Flathead Reservation PIR (Pupil Instruction-Related) Day," uniting more than 400 reservation teachers to learn about issues and themes in Indian education. Miss Cajune helped create the teacher training program at nearby Salish Kootenai College and is now collaborating with the college on the first Indian dropout prevention program in Montana. A highly sought-after presenter, she is a board member of the Montana-Wyoming Indian Education Association and the Montana Committee for the Humanities. *bio from the Milan Educator Awards
The portrait was taken on the Salish Reservation in Arlee, Montana. It was an honor to spend the day with her, see the positive impact she has made, and meet the children and adults who honor her work.
