Observer Editor
Approximately 450 Native American students were honored recently during the second annual National Native American Honor Society banquet held at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
Each of these honor students, who were inducted into the National Native American Honor Society, had a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Each of the honor students received an eagle pin and certificate for each semester that they had perfect grades.
Dr. John Tippeconic, director of the U.S. Office of Indian Education, praised the honor students and offered them advice during his speech.
Dr. Tippeconic told more than 500 people attending the banquet that there are four points the students need to remember to be successful.
Tippeconic said emphasizing the importance of education, being concerned about people, remembering people and feeling good about being an American Indian are keys to success.
'Learn all you can,' he said. 'Read, write, learn math and science.'
Tippeconic said good grades will help students gain entrance to the college of their choice and will have an impact on how people view them.
"Your parents and friends will recognize what your doing and your hard work will be recognized,' he said.
Tippeconic said education is more than just what goes on in the classroom.
"Education is what goes on in the community, nation and world,' he said. "Learning takes place through life so learn from your teachers and other people."
Tippeconic said the second point is to be concerned about people by addressing issues such as hunger, the environment, substance abuse, school dropouts, suicide, discrimination and racism
"Be concerned about your family, community, tribe, state and world," he said, "because the more you know the more power you have to make decisions."
Tippeconic urged students to plan ahead and think about what profession they want to be working in when the year 2000 arrives.
Tippeconic said he dreamt of becoming a teacher. Tippeconic, who is Comanche, went on to teach in Tuba City and at Arizona State University. He later taught teachers about how to improve their methods. He eventually became vice president of Navajo Community College.
"Dreams do come true so have a vision," he said. "If you have a vision you will probably get there."
He said students should remember to say thanks to the people who helped them and to help students who are not doing so well.
Tippeconic told the students they should feel proud of their Native American tradition. He said his father was the first Native American to earn a masters degree in Arizona. His father earned the degree at NAU with his master's degree involving the interviewing of 25 Commanche elders. He said his father learned Native American values from this study that should never be forgotten.
Tippeconic said he used to worry about the road ahead for America's tribes.
'But I don't worry anymore,' he said. "As I look out into the audience I feel confident that the future is in good hands.'
He told the students that an Old Chinese proverb is true. The proverb states that the voyage of a thousand miles begins with a single step make sure it is in the right direction.
Society rooted in spirituality
Dr. Frank Dukepoo, a biology professor at NAU who created the honor society, said the National Native American Honor Society is rooted in Native American spirituality, tradition and customs.
Dr. Dukepoo said when the society was started, and later upgraded its standards so that the honor students must have perfect grades, that he was laughed out of a lot of meetings.
"But we persisted in order to be successful," he said.
Dukepoo thought of the idea of the National Native American honor society at 4 a.m. Oct. 10, 1981. He said it may have taken 10 years for the idea to come together, but that the growth in self-esteem that he has seen in Native American students has made it all worthwhile.
Dukepoo's quote of the week
"I wasn't a college dropout. I was a college drop-in. I dropped in to all the parties," Dr. Frank Dukepoo talking about his college experiences before he got on the right track.
