Treatment of American Indian students challenged

By Andrea J. Cook, Journal staff | Wednesday, February 21, 2007

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RAPID CITY -- An altercation last week between an American Indian student and adults at Central High School prompted a meeting of adults and students Wednesday at the Mother Butler Center.

Although local news media receive notices of the meeting, they were asked to leave when the meeting started. Two members of the Rapid City Police Department also were asked to leave before the meeting started.

Organizers Mary Wright and Hazel Bonner did grant a brief interview before the meeting started.

Wright said she was told that five adults “took an Indian boy down” at Central last Thursday. The student did not provoke the attack, according to Wright. The student, who was taken into police custody and charged with assault, suffered a broken wrist during the incident, she said.

“This will not be tolerated by the Indian community any longer,” Wright said. “We have sat by too quietly not saying anything.”

Wright said the school district has discouraged Indian children from identifying with their culture.

Most parents are afraid to speak up against mistreatment because they are afraid of retaliation from school officials and police.

Officials at the Rapid City Police Department have declined to comment on the Central incident.

Rapid City superintendent of schools Peter Wharton says the incident with the student was handled properly but that the matter is being investigated by the district and law enforcement.

“I’m unaware of anything that was done or handled inappropriately,” he said.

Wharton did confirm that after the incident two school district employees were taken to the hospital for treatment. Both were treated and released, he said.

Wharton refused to go into details leading up to the incident. To protect the privacy of the student and adults involved, the superintendent said he was limited in what he could say.

Wharton said he is willing to sit down at the table and discuss parents’ concerns. The district does have a complaint procedure that parents are encouraged to use, he said.

Bonner said Wednesday’s meeting was an organizational meeting. She said complaints to be filed because of the boy’s treatment.

Too many Indian students drop out of Central High School because they are being mistreated.

“Attitudes have to change,” Bonner said.

Contact Andrea Cook at 394-8423 or andrea.cook@rapidcityjournal.com