(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray applauded President Obama’s
appointment of Patricia Whitefoot, a member of the Yakama Nation of Washington
state, to be a member of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education
(NACIE). The NACIE is a fifteen member council made up of representatives from
throughout the United States. It advises and makes recommendations to the
Secretary of Education, and submits a yearly report to Congress on issues
pertaining to Indian Education. Whitefoot will be the sole representative on
the council from Washington state and the Pacific Northwest region.
“Patricia
has been a committed and effective leader over the course of 40 years of Indian
education experience,” said Senator Patty Murray. “She has
demonstrated vast knowledge of the issues through her management of Indian
education programs ranging from early childhood to higher education, as well as
through her role as a tribal leader on the Yakama Tribal Council. I am proud to
have Patricia representing the Northwest on this important council, and I am
confident that she will be a powerful voice for Indian education in Washington
state and across the country.”
Born
and raised on the Confederated Tribal Lands of the Yakama Nation, Whitefoot is
the Indian Education Director of the Toppenish School District and serves as
the President of the National Indian Education Association. For over 20 years,
she has been actively involved in the Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest
Indians, and serves as the chairman of the ATNI Education Committee, which
represents 52 tribes of the northwest region. She earned her B.A. in Elementary
Education at Central Washington University, and her M.A. in Education at Ft.
Wright College of Spokane.
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