Art in Schools is More Important than Academics - Deborah and Christopher Bordeaux
"Arts in Schools - More Important than Academics" a presentation led by Deborah Bordeaux (Oglala Lakota) and Christopher G. Bordeaux (Sicangu Lakota), part of the Racing Magpie Winter Camp series. Deborah Bordeaux is currently the Executive Director for The Commission for Oceti Sakowin Accreditation, the only Tribally approve accrediting agency. Deborah works to develop and promote Native Education with a focus on Native language and culture to be included and the primary curriculum for Native Children. Deborah is a graduate of Oglala Lakota College with a Bachelor of Science Degree and received her Master’s Degree in Education Leadership from South Dakota State University/ Sinte Gleska University. Previous to her Bachelor Degree, had a Nursing Degree as an LPN from United Tribes Educational Center. Deborah has worked in the capacity of a teacher aide, Special Education Teacher and Elementary Principal. She has 35 plus years’ experience working in Tribal Controlled Grant Schools. During this time Deborah worked with a local parent group to get a federal law passed for Tribal Education Departments, has developed and delivered testimony to congressional leaders and staff on Indian Education. Developed and implemented budgets, policies and procedures and developed relationship with educators. Helped Developed and Implemented a Tribal Accrediting process with all appropriate approvals and acceptance. Deborah is married for 47 years, has 4 children and 4 grandchildren. Deb and Chris have their Master’s Degree, all 4 children have their Bachelor degrees, 2 have their Master’s degree and are currently working on their PhDs, 1 grandchild has a Bachelor Degree, becoming the fourth generation in Deborah's lineage to have a college degree. Deborah’s Great Grandfather Pute always encouraged education. Christopher G Bordeaux married to Deborah and lives in the Slim Buttes/ Loafer Camp Community on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Chris is the Executive Director of the Oceti Sakowin Education Consortium (OSEC). A retired Gifted and Talented Educator and Principal, Chris has a MS Ed Admin from Oglala Lakota College, a BS Elem Ed from Black Hills State College and an endorsement in Gifted Education from the University of South Dakota. The majority of his teaching career was in Gifted Education in Tribal Schools. Chris has served eight terms on the South Dakota Indian Education Association Board, and three terms on the National Indian Education Association Board. Currently a member of the South Dakota Parent Connection Board, Anpo Wicahpi Owayawa-Pine Ridge Girls School Board, and he is a consultant for Tribal Schools. The Racing Magpie Winter Camp program is reimagining the Lakota winter camp model of problem solving and community building in today’s world by examining the deeper reasons why Lakota people do things the way they do and why they interact with the universe around them. As plants and trees focus their energy on building strength and growing from the roots during the winter, our community will join to strengthen and grow together each year through sharing and learning. Watch for more events each month through the winter. Support for the Winter Camp program is generously provided through a grant from the South Dakota Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, @The Bush Foundation, and a direct grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Posted by Racing Magpie on Saturday, December 5, 2020

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