Class on Native American history gets grant
ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Students at Douglas High School have the chance to take a class that's not offered anywhere else in the county.
Joe Reihl, an educator at the High School teaches a class called Introduction to Native American Studies, in which students learn about the history and culture of Native American tribes.
Reihl started up the class 6 years ago because he said that, students were not learning anything about the indigenous people of the North American continent.
"The overriding goal for me is to create in them a sense of awareness and a sense of responsibility to other people," said Reihl.
His class has attracted some attention from groups representing Native American people. The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation gave Reihl a $6,000 grant to keep the class going.
Reihl recently received the Bus Rondeau award for his work on the course. He said that he plans on offering the class for the rest of his career as an educator.
i think that people like you should keep your uneducated opinions to yourself. in the N.A.S class we learn about the native Americans and we study their way of life, at no time have we pranced around in tribal costumes and pretended like we were part of a tribe. you have no right to say such things with no knowledge what so ever. if your "kids" went to this school or schools in the surrounding area i think you would have the slightest clue of what goes on. p.s custer died because he is an idiot!
So why is it allowed to study native American history when given a grant by the Cow Creek Tribe but it is not allowed to be called Indians because the Board Of Education says the schools have to change their names and mascots so as not to offend the Native American Tribes? I don't get it, something is terribly wrong here. You can teach about them, talk about them but can't use their names as mascots? How confusing is this, and what are we really teaching our children? That you can teach students about them and their place in history but can not use their Warriors, or Indians name that has been a part of their schools for many generations because they may take offense to it. Me thinks the Board of Education has misplaced their heads!