Kendra Benally is a liaison for all Native American students in Blackfoot High School and is also shared with the Blackfoot 6th grade. She has worked in education for 23 years, but is only now finishing her first year of being a teacher. Kendra teaches Native American Culture, specifically teaching about the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe since it is the closest tribe, but also because Kendra was born and raised on the reservation along with most kids in Blackfoot High school.
Kendra’s class focuses on Native American boarding schools and MMIW. However, there are projects like beadwork and making fry bread, which was done on April 2nd. Kendra’s future plans are to add more hands-on projects like basket weaving and painting. Along with more guests speakers to come in.
Although Kendra didn’t initially intend to become a teacher, she states,“I enjoy teaching, it’s fun and I’m learning how to get information to students.” Kendra has big ideas for future class experiences, however those types of projects are expensive and wouldn’t work with the space of her classroom.
“I would really like to have a guest come in and teach the class how to make hide and smoke them and have a medicinal plant unit.” Though Kendra cannot do these projects she still hasn’t given up to attempt her class about the projects
