In June, I had the privilege of attending a Native American wellness camp focused on encouraging middle-school youth towards academic success and healthy choices. The camp inspired me to reflect on the role of guest speakers in my own life — and challenged me to understand why culture-based education is particularly important for the resilience of Native youth.

Read my op-ed in Education Post, tied to November’s Native American Heritage Month. Here’s an excerpt:

Native communities are flush with role models, elders and spiritual leaders, so schools just need to make sure these individuals are integrated into learning and extracurricular opportunities. As college-aged camp aide Avery Underwood, member of the Comanche tribe who grew up in non-Native urban communities, told me: “How different my school experience could have been with an Indian community backing me.”

Other Bellwether writing on Native education issues can be found here.