LAHS Native American Culture Club
Native American Club Mission:
It is our Native American responsibility to educate and share with our peers, teachers, and community the language, art, culture, and beauty of what it means to be Native American.
Creating academic opportunities through high school and post graduation.
Sponsor: Ms. Kimberly Engelking
k.engelking@laschools.net
LAMS Native Hawk Club
Our Native American club is a great chance for our Native students to hang out and connect with each other while we also play card games, listen to much, and basically just chill and develop community. The club is open to all students but we really want focus on creating a positive and supportive space for Indigenous students, so please encourage your students to attend. Even if they just come during luch period and don't stay for recess period, its a great change to connect.
Sponsor: Ms. Angie Manfredi
a.manfredi@laschools.net
Co-sponsor: Trish Jojola
t.jojola@laschools.net
Angie’s Native Book Picks
The story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again.
It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions.
Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is not excited for their family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.
But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean? GoodReads
Mountain Elementary Native American Club
The Mission of Mountain the Elementary Native American club is to:
Promote awareness and appreciation of Native American heritage through educational activities, culutral events, and storytelling.
Encourage students to learn about and connect with Indigenous values, tradition and histories in meaningful and respectful ways.
Provide a supportive environment for Native American students to express their identities, build confidence and develop leadership skills.
Foster allyship by educating peers and creating opportunities for collaboration and understanding among all students.
Strengthen ties between the school and local Indigenous communities through partnership, guest speakers, and cultural exchange.
Elizabeth Ziomek
Elizabeth taught at Albuquerque Public Schools for eleven years before beginning her career with Los Alamos Public Schools. This school year marks her ninth year at Mountain Elementary and her third year teaching Math Lab, after previously teaching fifth grade. Her passion for multicultural education and her belief that it is essential to student success inspire her work with the district’s first Native American Club at the elementary level. Elizabeth is dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment that empowers students, promotes cultural understanding, and strengthens connections with Indigenous communities
Donna Schaefer
Donna has taught in the educational system for 33 years, with an additional 5 years working in disability services. Mountain has been her home for 26 years, most of which she has spent teaching 4th grade. She currently teaches science and social studies and enjoys weaving cultural studies into her lessons, including numerous Native American activities. Donna grew up in North Dakota alongside the Spirit Lake Nation and briefly lived in Minnesota. With family across the U.S., she stays busy in the summers, but is grateful to call New Mexico—and Mountain Elementary—home.
Governing Council Co-Chairs, fifth graders, Zakaya Maestas (left) and Isabella Gilleland (right).