Meskwaki Nation IT

Meskwaki Settlement School

Our Mission

Our mission is to prepare students to be responsible, independent life-long learners, preserving the language and culture of the Meskwaki Tribe. By working together in a safe environment, students will grow culturally, intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

About the Settlement School

The Sac and Fox Settlement School was originally established as a Day School by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Next, it became part of the South Tama County Community School District, an Iowa public school system. In 1972, the school was closed and Tribal members applied for the school to become BIA operated. In 1980, the Sac and Fox Settlement School became a tribally operated school, first as a contract school and now as a grant school. The Meskwaki Settlement School is a tribally controlled school with oversight by the Bureau of Indian Education.

Our Philosophy

The Meskwaki Settlement School will operate for its youth a comprehensive, bilingual, bicultural, community-based educational environment, designed to incorporate the wisdom and beauty of the Meskwaki Culture with the knowledge of our modern technological society.

We will preserve the Meskwaki culture, including its language, history, and traditions; promote Meskwaki values and lifestyle; sponsor Indian cultural ceremonies and events; and promote pride in one’s school, home, and community.

Further, we will provide a quality academic education; establish a strong academic sequence solidly rooted in basic education and blossoming into a multi-faceted, innovative learning environment; employ highly-qualified teachers, staff, and administrative personnel; develop and implement a strong supportive service program involving needed professional support, counseling, and special education environment conducive to cultural, social, physical, academic, and spiritual development; provide for parent and community involvement in educational activities; and utilize Indian resource consultants, especially Tribal Elders.

Finally, we will regard our youth with the utmost dignity and respect, promoting the development of positive awareness of self; and finally, we as educators, shall endeavor to constantly recall to mind that we exist, first and foremost, to serve the needs of our Indian youth.

School Board Election Qualifications

The school board is made up of five positions. To be qualified as a nominee for the regular school board election, you must be:

  • A Tribal member enrolled in the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa
  • At least twenty-one years of age
  • An immediate family member of a current student attending the Meskwaki Settlement School
  • Reside within 25 miles of the Meskwaki Settlement 
  • Any non-enrolled descendant of the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa as evidenced by a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood obtained from the Enrollment Office of the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa

For the purpose of this section, an immediate family member shall be defined as parents, legal guardians, grandparents, siblings, uncles, and aunts.

All candidates seeking election to the Meskwaki Settlement School Board have 20 days from the date the School Board Election is posted to meet with the Superintendent of the Meskwaki Settlement School; complete an Affidavit of Candidacy; and complete a Background Check. Failure to complete an Affidavit of Candidacy or to pass a Background Check will prohibit a candidate’s name from being placed on the ballot.

Individuals Qualified to Vote

Individuals qualified to vote in the School Board Election include enrolled members of the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, twenty-one (21) years of age or older; those residing within twenty-five miles of the Meskwaki Settlement; and any parent/legal guardian of a student currently attending the Meskwaki Settlement School, at least twenty-one (21) years old. All eligible voters must provide suitable identification prior to receiving a ballot. Suitable identification includes Tribal ID, State Driver’s License, State Identification Card, or Passport. Identifications without a photo or expired identifications will not be accepted by the Election Committee.

Current School Board Members

Shoshonis Brown Member
Amanda Davenport Member
Dara Jefferson Member
Waylon Wolf Member
Dalyn Wabaunasee Member

Contact the Meskwaki Settlement School

Phone Number

(641) 484-9000

Email

[email protected]

Physical & Mailing Address

1610 305th Street

Tama, IA 52339

Contact the Meskwaki Nation

Get in touch with our main office if you have general questions or need assistance finding the correct department to contact.