Arlee students give perspective on reservation life

By KYLIE RICHTER

Lake County Leader

Three years ago, Arlee High School English teacher Anna Baldwin heard about a short story that did not paint a pretty picture of reservation life. 

Baldwin, who was recently honored as one of the top five teachers in the nation, said the idea to start breaking reservation stereotypes came after reading the short story.

Baldwin and a few students decided to visit other schools in western Montana to help break the stereotypes. The Arlee High School project took off from there. “Building relationships with those kids helped to break down the stereotypes they had,” Baldwin said.

At the start of this school year, an official club was pitched to the entire student body at Arlee High School. The club’s goal was to meet with schools off the reservation and work to tear down false information about life on the Flathead Indian Reservation. 

The students responded with enthusiasm. About 25 percent of Arlee High School showed up at the first meeting of the club. Arlee’s Reservation Ambassador’s Club now has 19 members, including tribal and nontribal students. Those students travel to other schools, where they watch films, break into groups and answer questions from other students.

Baldwin said she gets calls from teachers who are interested in having the club talk to their students.

Recently, members of the club met with eighth graders from C.S. Porter Middle School in Missoula, who were learning about the Flathead Reservation. 

Baldwin said the group has worked with nine schools and over 330 students so far. “We have even Skyped with a school in Chicago, which was very interesting,” she said.