Helping Our Children Succeed
by Andrew Conseen Duff

Si yo, Gv ni da Gan shi ni Kha Lv gv Tsa la gi tai yv wi ya hi! My name is Andrew Conseen Duff of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and I am serving as the chairman for the American Indian Science & Engineering Society’s board of directors.
Here in the Southwest, I am in awe of the Chaco Canyon architecture, the feast day at Jemez and the ancient songs of the Hopi that serve as prayers for rain. My travels over the past year have allowed me to visit more than 20 Indian reservation communities in Alaska, South Dakota, Montana, California and back home in North Carolina. Each trip was an exposure to our cultures’ languages, art, science and engineering that are unique to Native people.
For countless generations, indigenous people across the Americas have served their communities as pharmacists, architects, engineers, astronomers, hydrologists, historians, linguists, agriculturalists, politicians, artists, and leaders locally and abroad.
I chose to serve as a board member for AISES to be an advocate of education by opening doors, encouraging students and reminding them of the great achievements Native people have made for generations. AISES knows that partnerships maximize resources and can strengthen the feasibility of success for our students in college and in their future careers.
It takes sound education programs and strong partnerships with communities, Elders, role models, mentors, families and Nations to cultivate successful students. Family involvement is imperative from the first science project in grade school to being the number one fan in the bleachers for a basketball game, or adhering to a family budget to save for a child’s higher education.
Parents understand the sacrifices they need to make for their children and teachers know, too.
Teachers today are buying their own classroom supplies and spending personal time researching cutting-edge techniques to make the classroom creative and fun. They need our constant support and gratitude.
Every teacher, mentor and role model who influences the lives of our children needs our good thoughts and prayers. This will guide future generations of our Native students to develop new and innovative ways to apply their education.
This edition of Winds of Change highlights four members of our Native communities who will be accepting awards from AISES at the national conference. The awardees are: Most Promising Engineer/ Scientist, Dr. Bevan Baas; Technical Excellence, Dr. Chris Cornelius; Executive Excellence, Dr. Ray M. Haynes; and Professional of the Year, Frank Martinez. You can read their stories in this issue and join us in honoring their accomplishments. These are individuals who can influence the lives of our young people.
To make wise decisions, our students need encouragement, an investment of our time, financial support and a prayer to the Creator of all things to watch over us all.