In the first Spotlight episode of the 2022-2023 school year, Superintendent Stavem talks with Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) and Chairperson for the Office of Indian Education, Anna Brokenleg. Anna has been with the Sioux Falls School District for over 13 years, where she started her career as a teacher at Hawthorne Elementary. She taught at Hawthorne for several years before transitioning to her current role. Anna now works with Očéti Šakówiŋ Owáuŋspe (OSO, formerly known as Native American Connections) teachers across the District to bolster Native American education – along with creating relationships with partners from across the Sioux Falls community to strengthen opportunities for Native American families.
Over 10% of South Dakota’s student population is Native American, which is the second highest population served after Caucasian students. While Native American education was once limited, the Sioux Falls School District has taken steps to increase Native American learning opportunities significantly over the years. The District now offers several Native American courses, including Languages of the Oceti Sakowin, throughout our District at all levels.
Growing up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Anna attended Sioux Falls Public Schools for elementary, middle, and high school. She also traveled back and forth to Rosebud, where she is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. These experiences taught her the importance of bridging the gap between cultures. Throughout the episode, she discusses why successful bi-cultural communication is essential for our District, along with the importance of offering courses rich in Native American history.
“We are on the traditional homelands of the Oceiti Sakowin people, along with other tribal communities that were in this area as well through the course of history. I think it’s really important we consider that and think about that education not just for our Native American students but for all the citizens of our state and what it means to really understand the place that they live, the history of where we all live, and what those implications are for our communities today.” - Anna Brokenleg
Anna is an incredibly knowledgeable person focused on preserving the past but looking forward to the future. She is an integral person in our District, and you absolutely do not want to miss this episode!