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Mitakuye Oyasin - “We are all related”

Proctor Academy Native American Connection

The Lakota phrase for recognizing that there is a universal connection between all of creation, has been part of Proctor’s fabric since the mid-1980s. The Native American presence at Proctor Academy has taken many shapes over the course of the last thirty eight years. Our commitment to cultivating relationships is a reflection of the school’s mission and deep respect for the value of Native perspectives.  The intention is to honor and educate our community about Native American life through student and faculty exchange.

We hope you reach out to us with questions about Proctor's Native American Connection! 

NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM NEWS

List of 20 news stories.

  • Indigenous People's Day 2021 & A Visit with John Around Him

    Lori Patriacca
    Read or listen to the latest blog on the Buzz, The Journey: The Danger of a Single Story, to hear about John Around Him's connection to Proctor, his recent visit, and Proctor's celebration of Indigenous People's Day and Native American Heritage Month.

  • Native American Heritage Month 2021 Schedule

    Lori Patriacca

  • Earth Day

    Lori Patriacca
    JR White Hat (2000) joined Proctor to celebrate Earth Day 2016.  Please enjoy Scott Allenby’s description of Earth Day and reflections from Mike Henriques in Mike’s Notes to get a taste of what we celebrated and what we are carrying forward.

  • Continuing Friendships with the Around Him Family

    Lori Patriacca
    Thank you to John Around Him for spending a week with Proctor students this November. To hear more about his visit please click HERE.
     

  • Tipi Time

    Lori Patriacca
    With October comes an annual tradition of building the Proctor Tipi in order to draw attention to Indigenous People’s Day and Native American Heritage Month. It was five years ago that the Proctor Tipi was rediscovered in a Tilton trailer behind the hockey rink and we were humbled knowing that it took us an entire afternoon to set up when it is rumored that back in the day a pair of elders could have a tipi up in five minutes.
    Read More

  • Northern New England Student of Color Conference

    Lori Patriacca
    Nine Proctor students traveled to Holderness to join five other independent schools for the annual Student of Color Conference.
    Read More

  • Exploring Social Representations with Sarah Palacios

    Lori Patriacca
    Sarah Palacios, Director of the Native American Program at Dartmouth College, shared an incredible presentation about the impact of social representations on identity development with faculty, staff, and student leaders during our Thursday morning meeting.
    Read More

  • Summer in South Dakota 2019

    Lori Patriacca
    Proctor sent 7 students to South Dakota for this year’s Rosebud Reservation Service Trip. Once again, the journey opened minds to realities inside of US borders and to the beauty of culture, the resilience of people, and the interconnected nature of all people with the universe. Read more in Reflections from Rosebud.
    Read More

  • Ellie Richardson's Capstone Project

    Lori Patriacca
    After participating in the South Dakota Summer Service Trip in 2018, Ellie Richardson began to wonder about the absence of indigenous history and the role that the 500+ federally recognized tribes play in the United States. She decided to spend the year exploring that question and suggesting needed changes to curriculum requirements in schools.

    To learn more about Proctor’s Concentration Program contact Tom Morgan.

  • Pine Ridge Relief Fund

    Lori Patriacca
    The last few months of weather in the Pine Ridge Reservation area have been extreme. Massive amounts of snow, followed by warm temperatures, rain, and a water main burst, have stretched a community already living on the edge.

    With seven Proctor alumni and many friends hailing from the region, it felt right to start the Pine Ridge Relief Fund a few weeks ago. The Proctor community was able to purchase about $1000 worth of gear and supplies, which were delivered to the Oglala Lakota College for distribution.
    Read More

  • Earth Day 2019: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez & DJ Ietef

    Lori Patriacca
    Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and DJ Ietef got everyone excited about Grandmother Earth.

    The Proctor community was energized by an inspiring talk and performance by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. It was such an honor to have his voice on our campus!  His roots are in the Mexica’ traditions and his message echoed what we have heard from Lakota philosophy – We Are All Related and there is no separation between humanity and Earth.

    Read more in the Proctor Buzz Blog.

  • Strengthening Connections: Jon Jon Around Him

    Lori Patriacca
    John Around Him (Oglala Lakota) returned to Proctor this April to rejoin American Literature, US History, Philosophy, Globalization, and AP Language courses…just to name a few of the ways he jumped into being involved. One of the most exciting developments is a potential partnership with Dartmouth for admissions and for creating student support here on campus. A few community members reflected on their experiences with Jon Jon on campus:
    Read More

  • Project Period Returns to the Akwesasne Reserve

    Lori Patriacca
    The 2019 Mohawk Culture, Art, & History project traveled north to join alumni Jordan Thompson and his family to explore the Mohawk Reserve in northern New York.  Jordan was a remarkable student, athlete, and artist at Proctor, and the school is lucky to continue a wonderful relationship with him, and now his family too. Our group stayed with his sister Kelly and her husband Tyson, both talented in many ways, and the Thompson and Back families generously shared so much with us.
    Read More

  • Hailey's ('19) Wisdom: Dandelions

    Lori Patriacca
    Hailey LaPointe shares her thoughts in a senior Pete Talk. Nothing more needs to be said because Hailey says it all. At the time of this writing, her speech has been viewed nearly 700 times. Suffice it to say we are so proud of her and her willingness to share her voice with the world.

    Hear Her.

    Please view the text and film of her speech here

  • NAIS People of Color Conference & Student Diversity Leadership Conference 2018

    Lori Patriacca
    Five Proctor students and two faculty members attended the PoCC in November 2018. There were over 6000 student and faculty representatives from Independent Schools across the country. However, there were approximately just 15 people identifying as Native American amidst the enormous crowd. How is it possible, I wondered, that even in a space dominated by people of color, that Indigenous people are still so underrepresented? I did a little digging into NAIS stats and it seems that in the 2018-2019 school year, Native American students make up just .3% of the student population. While in the United States (in 2017) Native Americans made up more like 1.7% of the population.

    These two observations raise serious questions about access to Independent Schools, as well as a lack of awareness of this missing group of people.

    At present, 10% of the Native American population in the US has earned their Bachelor’s Degree, as compared to the national average of 21.9%.

    This disparity, the untaught history of indigenous people, and our role as a College Preparatory School combine in my mind to create a serious call to action.

    I think Proctor is poised to respond to that call.

  • Dawnland

    Lori Patriacca
    A group of 17 Proctor community members went to see the documentary Dawnland at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth. It was a late night, but the documentary was revealing and further opened the eyes of this group that has already learned so much. The continued pain that is inflicted on Indigenous communities across our country largely goes unseen by the dominant culture, as is vividly shown in this film. Certainly, seeing the film further impassions our community to not allow these issues to remain in the shadows.

    The film focuses on a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Maine. It grapples with social service policies, the lack of enforcement of the 1978 ICWA legislation, and the covert destruction of tribes across the country by forcibly taking the youth and having them raised outside of their culture (happening in the late 1800s and still happening today).

  • Tim Begaye Return to Proctor's Classrooms

    Lori Patriacca
    We were thrilled to host Tim Begaye, of the Navajo Nation, for another visit (he was here in May of 2017 as well) and this time his focus was very much in the classroom. Tim pushed students in many of our literature classes to ask the question, “What defines you?”

    A big thanks to Shauna Turnbull, Tom Morgan, Peter Southworth, Mark Tremblay, & John Bouton for making the visit possible. An even bigger thanks to Tim for taking the time to travel East and then North to visit with us!

  • The Last Lakota Dinner

    Lori Patriacca
    Many hands make light work at the Lakota Dinner,  and lots of folks showed up to help. Along with staff, faculty, and current students, we even had a guest appearance by 2018 alum, Dantong Xu.
    Read More

  • Indigenous People's Day 2018

    Lori Patriacca
    Proctor celebrated its first Indigenous People’s Day on October 7th (the actual day was the 8th) with a gathering of about 40 people (students, staff, faculty, alumni & parents).
    Read More

  • Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

    Lori Patriacca
    Friday, October 5th, Proctor’s community gathered in the Wilkins Meeting House to sit with advisory groups and watch Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World.
    Read More
Archive


Understanding Proctor's Native American Connection

Proctor seeks to weave a Native American education into our community. Our relationship with the Lakota, Mohawk, and Navajo Nations provides an opportunity to learn and grow through knowledge of their cultural experiences. Our relationships have the capacity to increase our self-awareness and improve our orientation to global learning.  Though not exclusive, Proctor’s relationship with the Lakota is strong.  Their beliefs hold a profound message of connection; of the need to treat all of creation with respect and compassion; and to take responsibility for ourselves, our community, and our planet.  These lessons echo deeply held beliefs at Proctor.  They echo our core values; Compassion, Responsibility, Respect, and Honesty. We are very excited to be continuing to invest our hearts and our time in these efforts.


Located in  Andover, NH,  Proctor Academy is a private coeducational day and boarding school for grades 9–12. Students benefit from a rigorous academic program, experiential off-campus programs, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.
204 Main Street  .  PO Box 500  .  Andover, NH 03216
p. (603) 735-6000   f. (603) 735-6300   webmaster@proctoracademy.org