Murder-suicide, questionable finances, mishandling of federal funds, conflicts of interest, GOP cronyism—such are the words that have lit up our headlines the last couple weeks over the scandal involving Scott Westerhuis and the Mid-Central Educational Cooperative in Platte.
Not making the headlines is the story of the good done by GEAR UP—Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, the federal education program used by South Dakota to provide educational opportunities for Native American youth in South Dakota.
For that side of the story, I turn to Nick Estes, SD GEAR UP alumnus, USD graduate, and Lakota activist. Estes has granted me permission to reprint in full his essay on the merits of GEAR UP:
I’m inspired and moved beyond words by the posts from SD GEARUP students to their Facebook and social media pages about how much the program means to them. I have been reluctant to comment on anything publicly, for fear that anything I say may cause more harm or damage.
Nothing anyone has written in the media I’ve read, however, has been from the perspective of GEARUP students. It breaks my heart to see the adults, the people supposed to protect our children, tear this program apart in the media.
None, apparently, seem concerned with its accomplishments. That’s the state of Native affairs in South Dakota and our own communities. People have come out of the woodwork to attack something they clearly don’t understand.
Our young people face enough challenges, the continued assault on the GEARUP program, a program that has helped thousands, is a clear assault on Native education.
Consider that about 75 percent (or more) of Native high schools students drop out. Amidst the myriad other depressing crises facing Native youth, critics should consider the real perpetrator of these crimes—a system that has allowed this happen, not the people who try to make life a bit more livable for our already persecuted Native youth.
When something negative happens, now they’re interested in GEARUP? That concerns me deeply.
Where were your cameras and insights as we achieved success, demonstrated our brilliance, and made history as Native youth?
Some of us have been doing this for decades now. I ask the many critics of this program, where were twenty years ago? Where were you ten years ago? Where were you this year?
I did not see you working with our children or documenting their achievements, celebrating their successes.
This program isn’t for adults. It’s for Native students, students such as myself. Students from the GEARUP family.
I want to share with you what this program means to me. GEARUP saved my life more than once. I don’t know where I would be without it.
I’m currently finishing my doctoral degree here in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico and I’m from Cohort Five (I’m an old guy!). On a recent visit, I saw a lot of my former students at the University of South Dakota, my alma mater. There were so many Native students and most were GEARUP students. I couldn’t believe it! It made me well up with hope that things are changing. Our young people are on the move!
When I attended USD, there were 17 Native incoming freshmen. I was the only one to graduate with my four year degree. The reason for my success was four years of preparation from GEARUP (at the time it was SKILL) programs. Today, I imagine there are more than just seventeen incoming Native freshmen, and I imagine many will graduate, not just one.
I was thirteen when I first met Stacy Phelps. I had no ambitions to go to college. It never crossed my mind. My first summer away at SKILL, I didn’t call home until the week it was time to pick me up!
I didn’t know it at the time, but I was getting ready for the rest of my life. I was too busy trying to be “cool” with peers to realize that. I took it for granted, as we do when we’re young. Now I look back and understand what was happening to me.
I grew up in Chamberlain. There weren’t many Natives in my high school, so going to SKILL each summer with Native men and women who had earned bachelor’s, master’s, and even doctoral degrees was nothing short of inspiring.
The program seemed foreign to me, since many of my experiences living in Chamberlain were alienating and feeling like I didn’t belong.
My GEARUP family, however, was one of brilliance, inspiration, and belonging. It always has been. Nothing in the media about GEARUP has yet featured that aspect.
As the years passed, Stacy became a brother to me and our families became close. My mom was a single parent, raising me and my brother, and I had few positive male role models in my life. I learned how to be a respectful, honorable, and responsible young Lakota man from the GEARUP program. I’m almost thirty now, and I just now understand how this program molded me into a leader and an adult. I’m sure many of us feel the same way.
It gave me the capacity to aspire to be something I never thought I could be.
When my mom passed away four years ago, my GEARUP family was there. They took care of me, they always have. Mom had worked for the program after I graduated as a student. Her lasting legacy is the GEARUP planners, “How to Go, How to Pay, How to Stay,” you may love or hate.
All of us older students and graduates send so many prayers and best wishes to GEARUP. When I was a student, there were only 30 of us. Now there’s almost 300! There are thousands of us out there. That gives me hope, and I pray for this program and the success of my former students everyday.
I want to tell Native students, especially you younger ones: You are the ones we’ve been waiting for. When we prayed, we prayed for you. Everyone at GEARUP prayed for you and worked hard to make sure you have something in this world no one can take away from you—your education.
You are the ones that are going to change this world, to make it livable again and make it a place where we have dignified lives as Native people.
You should be proud of yourselves. I am.
Whatever you may read or hear, just remember this program and all its staff have one interest in mind: you—the young people. As older people, we will do our best to make sure you have what’s rightfully yours in this world.
[Nick Estes, “Native Students: You Are the Ones We Prayed For,” Owašíču Owé Wašté Šní:
‘The Way of the Fat-Taker is No Good’, 2015.10.08]
A GEAR UP alum sent me a link to a Facebook group where South Dakota GEAR UP grads are talking about what the program did for them. Those posts talk about the college-prep benefits but the advantages of spending several weeks on a safe college campus, removed from the pressures and poverty of reservation life, surrounded by aspiring students and caring adults who become, as Estes says, family. Those posts also carry a lot of praise for former GEAR UP director Stacy Phelps, who is spoken of as a father figure by multiple alumni.
These words from Estes and other GEAR UP alumni do not explain why the state terminated MCEC’s and Phelps’s operation of GEAR UP. These words do not explain what connection if any that termination had with the violent death of Scott and Nicole Westerhuis and their children. These words do not explain what value GOP crony Rick Melmer, whose record on cultural sensitivity isn’t stellar, added to this program for Native youth.
But these words do provide a counter-narrative to the contention that GEAR UP administrators weren’t meeting official objectives for the program. These words show that many Native youth value this program and that the state should move quickly to continue delivering this value to Native youth.
* * *
P.S.: While Estes and I communicated, a question arose: why does South Dakota rely on federal funding for programs like this for Native youth? Why aren’t we using more of our own money to reach students on the reservation through programs like GEAR UP and Teach for America?
The actual administration of the program has been overshadowed by those charged with implementing it. Ironically, the slogan of Owašíču Owé Wašté Šní explains what happened:
‘The Way of the Fat-Taker is No Good’
That’s a wonderful post and I’m grateful to Cory for posting it and especially Mr. Estes for writing it.
I’m happy to hear that GEARUP has provided such positive outcomes. The Koch/Republicans need to clean up their mess and keep GEARUP functioning with federal and/or state money, whatever it takes. Why? Because it works!
Perfect letter and post. Imagine how much more the program may achieve with adult leadership and management.
David, that slogan is very appropriate here. The problem isn’t GEAR UP; the problem appears to be the Fat-Takers at MCEC and the GOP cronies who take resources that could be used to help even more kids in GEAR UP. Perhaps we Dems need to adopt that slogan for 2016.
Excellent question CAH: “Why aren’t we using more of our own money to reach students on the reservation through programs like GEAR UP and Teach for America?”
Perhaps the answer to your question is reflected in the following questions:
1. Next 7-year GEAR UP grant to be launched/awarded 2017-18; maximum $5 million annual; $35 million total; SD Regime lust for autocratic power, control and influence?
2. With regards to protecting the SD Regime’s public image, does dung ever flow up hill or always downhill?
3. Initial indication Machine’s hammer about to fall on MCEC’s administration of GEAR UP came in the fall of 2014 with public subsequently told by Machine that MCEC messed up causing $214,000 to be reimbursed from reserves in Dec 2014? In reality did the incompetence and lack oversight by the SD Secretary of DOE and her support staff cause $214,000 to be reimbursed to US DOE?
4. In in 2015, did MCEC receive multiple warnings from SD DOE to MCEC that the Machine’s hammer was about to fall on GEAR UP? In Mar 2015, did SD Auditor General send a letter to MCEC addressing Nov 20, 2014 MCEC comprehensive audit findings? In Mar 2015, was the SD FY 2014 Single Audit Report published citing on Pages 270 – 275 legislative audit findings with regards to GEAR UP operations. In late July 2015, did the chairman of the GOAC set an Aug 25, 2015 hearing date with FY 2014 GEAR UP operations the first item on the agenda? Aug 25, 2015 did legislators serving on the GOAC question the MCEC director with regards to the effectiveness of the GEAR UP program and FY 2014 legislative audit findings? In Sept 2015, did SD DOE sent $0.00 in GEAR UP funds to MCEC? Was Sept 16, 2015 really the first time MCEC had any indication that the GEAR UP partnership agreement with SD DOE was not going to be renewed on Sept 26, 2015?
5. Have ya repeatedly heard SD Regime top-echelon official boast about being conservatively prudent with taxpayer dollars with unmatched administrative effectiveness and efficiencies due constantly planning for next year, 5-year plan … 20-year plan? So, given such self-proclaimed “rocket-science admin brilliance”, why the hell did the SD Secretary of Doe only give MCEC 10-days prior notice via a phone call of her intention to not renew the $4.3 million GEARUP partnership agreement with MCEC without having an alternative plan up and running service to American Indian student not interrupted in any way or manner as the administration of the GEAR UP program was handed off to another administrative organization?
Perhaps the following adjectives and phrases may provide answers to CAH’s question: greed; dishonor; cloaked racial prejudice; lack of candor; lust for more autocratic power, control and influence; GEAR UP dung intentionally aimed downhill at MCEC fabricating an escape goat to use to justify moving GEAR UP partnership agreement (due to non-disclosed cronyism and/or nepotism motives) to SD Board of Regents; vast majority of American Indian registered voters are not members of SD Regime’s elitist secret society of bigots.
KEEP DIGGING!
Badger, Out!
Cory.
Thanks for printing such a heart warming story. If there were warnings given of questionable practices by those in authority, proper actions were not taken. If there were so many errors in the administration with GEAR UP can we trust that there were no similar questionable practices by other persons? A complete audit and public disclosure of all activities of Mid Central Education Coop should be made. Just how many hundreds of thousand dollars for children’s education wind up in the pockets of Republican Rick Melmer, a former Mitchell Elementary principal and Mitchell Superintendent Joe Graves? Other than a Sept. 30th article. largely influenced by Graves, Mitchell’s Daily Republic has published not a single word about Mid Centrals’ operation that I have seen.
Keep digging! People need to know the good , which may be great, as well as the bad. Open the windows and let the fresh air clean up this mess.
That is the price one pays for being essentially a sovereign micro-nation. I think flouting South Dakota law whenever it suits a tribal government and receiving funding from the state seems a lot like having one’s cake and eating it too.
State money, when daugaard is trying to pin the blame for his REPUBLICAN MEDICAID EXPANSION FAIL on Indians?
The beauty of this site is that it allows for a full discussion of the issues surrounding this topic. Without the exposure of the money trail I am confident the popular media would not have actively pursued the murder-suicide in Platte. The whole story needed to be told so that outcome it is never repeated.
Part of that full coverage includes Mr. Estes’ perspective from a Gear Up alumni viewpoint. Clearly, there was a lot of good done within the program, despite the shortcomings that have been shown. I am confident the next version of the program will include several features including close accounting of finances, thorough external assessment, little, if any, involvement by non-profit organizations and minimal oversight of paid external consultants. Those aspects, by the way, are hallmarks of quality educational programs, and seem to have been lacking under the old Gear Up program. I challenge Mr. Estes and other alumni from the Gear Up program to be part of the new program that emerges, specifically to become the next generation of Native American leaders. South Dakota needs your talents in many different ways.
gee spencer, I just didn’t see your post. kinda standard stuff from you. grudz says all the same things, just older, cagier…racism, I guess, in a word.
Is there an account some where obvious where it says the state pays Indians money. Chase Iron Eyes, Esq. says the state takes 31 cents of every dollar of money collected on the rez(s) (twitter ect). Forgive me as I am not a hard scientist (high school teacher) like you or a wiz bang economist/accountant or Indian/state/fed republican intellectual. yer still full’a sheit
The state should move quickly to continue delivering this value to Native youth.
Mr. Lansing, I could not agree with you more if I tried real hard. The substance and ideals of that program seemed very swell and should keep on going.
Why would the Republican Party in Sodak want to invest taxpayer’s money in helping Native American youth develop a higher self-esteem? We all know the better you feel about yourself, the less fear and doubt you carry and the more likely you are to become a liberal.
So Spencer, do you take the position that the state has no responsibility for educating American Indian youth? Should we rewrite the K-12 funding formula to discount the per-student allocation for American Indian enrollees in our public schools?
I also am an alumni of SD GEAR UP, Nick Estes was my roommate every year that we were in the program and because of GEAR UP, he’s a lifelong friend. We came in the same year, graduated the program the same year. Everything Nick said here is true for so many of the kids that went to GEAR UP, without it I wouldn’t have been as prepared for my next year of school every year since we were in 7th grade while preparing for college life at the same time. I may not have even graduated high school if Stacy Phelps didn’t come into my life and mentor me all the way to where I am at today. Thousands of kids that went through the program would say the same thing.