Denise Juneau, the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, addressed the 2012 Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night. Juneau is a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation of North Dakota. She was raised on the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. “Essential to my success were the teachers who invested their time and talent in me so I could go from high school on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to Montana State University, Harvard Graduate School, and law school at the University of Montana,” Juneau said in her speech. “Thank you, educators.” “Teachers are sometimes the only ones who tell our children they can go from an Indian reservation to the Ivy League, from the home of a struggling single mom to the White House," she added. Juneau praised President Barack Obama, who was adopted by a family from the Crow Tribe of Montana, for his record on Indian issues. She cited the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference and the $3.4 billion settlement to the Indian trust fund lawsuit, filed by the late Elouise Cobell, who was a member of the Blackfeet Nation. "He's made investments to prevent violence against women in Native communities and to increase opportunities for our youth and veterans. And when he brought health care to all Americans, he helped build hospitals, train nurses, and ensure healthy moms and healthy babies in tribal communities," Juneau added. Get the Story:
Mark Trahant: Elections 2012: Denise Juneau: It Looks Great to Be Up Here (Indian Country Today 9/6)
Juneau praises Obama education record at Democratic convention (The Missoulian 9/6)
Juneau draws attention to teachers in convention speech (The Great Falls Tribune 9/6)
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