15 graduates honored at Stone Child

Stone Child College on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation held its graduation ceremony Friday in the Jon Morsette Vo-Tech Center on campus.

The 15-member graduating class received degrees in elementary education, Native American studies, hospitality, science, office administration, business, accounting and building trades.

Stone Child College was chartered by the Chippewa Cree Tribe in 1984. College President Nathan St. Pierre said that the college's first graduating class was in 1986 and consisted of four women.

Since then, St. Pierre said, more than 600 students have graduated from the tribal college.

St. Pierre and members of the Chippewa Cree Business Committee Ted Russette III and Jody LeMere were among those present, along with families and friends of the graduates.

The ceremony began with an honor song performed by the Southern Cree Juniors, a three-person drum group.

Robert Murie provided the opening prayer.

Along with the students, both Allan Gardipee Sr. and Frances "Franie" Rosette received honorary degrees in Native American studies.

Jade Yazzie, a Navajo from Cameron, Arizona, and the class salutatorian, was among the graduates. Friday. The day she received her Associate of Sciencein applied science-allied health option and a certificate of completion in nursing was her 20th birthday.

Yazzie said her stepfather was originally from Montana. She said her parents thought she would have a better "college experience" in Montana, so they moved to the area.

Speaking from the podium to the audience, Yazzie said making the adjustment to Montana was difficult for her. She said she felt insecure because of her short height.

"I felt very alone, and I just wanted to get my degree and go straight home," she said.

Yazzie said there were times when she would phone her grandmother, who was living on the reservation in Arizona, to say that she missed her and wanted to go home.

"She'd be crying on the other end and say 'Jade listen to me, you have to keep going,'" she said.

Yazzie persevered. She said though adapting to a small rural Montana community after living in the Arizona desert was difficult, it taught her that her hometown would always be there and that every day she was away from her hometown represented one step closer to her future.

She said Montana gave her an experience she will never forget, adding that she will attend Salish Kootenai College in the fall.

Chippewa Cree Attorney General LeAnn Montes was the commencement speaker.

Montes said she had worked for the college in a variety of capacities, including as the college's attorney, lead basketball coach and an instructor.

She recalled her time as a college student at Montana State University and the difficulty of balancing her classes with work, motherhood and playing on the basketball team.

Montes praised the students, saying that through the skills they have gained they are not only improving their own lives but also enriching the communities they will join.

"By building a strong academic foundation you are creating an unbreakable stepping stone leading to a future with endless possibilities."

She expressed optimism about what the new crop of graduates could achieve. She said they were no longer living with many of the injustices and burdens that past generations faced.

She said that their grandparents and those before them bore the burden of preserving their lands and preventing the extinction of their people. They were forced to contend with injustices such as Indian removal, forced assimilation and others.

"I truly believe your generation has an opportunity to restore prosperity into your home communities and reclaim what originally belonged to our people," Montes said.