former and newly elected AISES

officers, Quana also received the

new AISES ―Most Outstanding

Member of the Year Award‖ to be

offered annually at the ceremony by

OMA.

OMA Feather, Ceremony

Coordinator-Program Assistant-

Abena Songbird presented gifts to

Robert Cook and Harriet

Brings from OMA and

AISES and thanked all

The Office of Multicultural Af-

fairs proudly hosted its second annual

Native Feathering Ceremony on May

8, 2009 for two engineering graduates:

Quana Higgins, Oglala Lakota, B..S.,

civil engineer and Myrna Littlewolf,

Chippewa, B..S., industrial engineer-

ing.

Harriet Brings, Oglala Lakota

Cultural Resource Specialist for the Rapid City School District, conducted

the blessing of the feathers and ex-

plained the Hunkapi ceremony for

the two Win. President Robert

Wharton, Ph.D., introduced by OMA Coordinator—Scott Wiley, offered

words of encouragement for each of

the graduates, summarizing their

various achievements while at the

school and highlighting their future

goals.

Keynote Speaker—Robert

Cook, president of the National

Indian Education Association

(NIEA) and Crazy Horse‘s Cultural

Affairs & Education Outreach Spe-

cialist, shared a story on the signifi-

cance of the eagle and receiving a

feather.

As Ateyapi Drum (John Swift

Bird, Scott Means, Wayne Center,

and Sonny Hayes) played a Hunkapi

song, proud family members, fac-

ulty, staff, and community watched

as the two ate their wasna and re-

ceived their eagle plumes. People

lined up to shake their hands while

an Honor Song played. A traditional

meal of buffalo stew, wojapi, and fry

bread was served. after the cere-

mony. Following a recognition of

Spring Feathering Ceremony honors two Native engineers

Deanna Shoup 2009 recipient of IHS Scholarship

Deanna Shoup, a School

of Mines senior , was re-

cently named a recipient of

the prestigious Indian Health

Services (IHS) Scholarship.

The IHS Scholarship is a

highly competitive scholar-

ship for federally or state

recognized American Indians

and Alaska Natives. On

average 1200 applications for

150 scholarships.

Deanna is a member of

the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

Her parents are Pearl Stone

and Joe Prue. She is a gradu-

ate of T.F. Riggs High

School in Pierre, South

Dakota.

A senior interdisci-

plinary sciences major

(pre-professional health),

(Continued on page 2)

President Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D. addresses 2009 Native engineering graduates.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS:

JESSICA CHRETIEN

JACQUELINE DEMENT

CLARITA BEGISHE

DEANNA SHOUP WINS INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES SCHOLARSHIP

1

COAL MINING SUMMITT BY JACQUELINE DEMENT

2

SCOTT WILEY’S MULTICULTURAL DIARY

3

AISES 2009 BOARD OF REGENTS AWARD

9

ADAM DELL DENALI FELLOWSHIP

2

Inside this issue:

Fall 2009

First Nations Students at Mines Newsletter

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology American Indian Science & Engineering Society

A 14-foot tipi ,borrowed and raised with help from Robert Cook and mem-

bers of AISES, decorates Surbeck

Ballroom for the ceremony.

Harriet Brings explains the Hunkapi, one of seven sacred ceremonies.

Lila Waste! Quana receives a warm hug from her grandfather.

NIEA President, Robert Cook shares wisdom from his personal journey.

Friday, August 7, 2009 in

SDSM&T King Christensen

Center communications coordi-

nator, Dr. Alfred Boysen wel-

comed all to a closing cere-

mony for a 10- week Research

Education for Undergraduates

(REU) program sponsored by

the National Science Founda-

tion (NSF).

2009 Coal Mining Summit unique eye-opener by Jacqueline DeMent

Shoup continued...

Adam Dell receives Denali Fellowship

students who demonstrate poten-

tial to give back to the Native

American community, and who

demonstrate excellence in man-

agement of multiple areas—

personal life, work experience,

and college extracurricular activi-

ties.

An element of-giving back-

to ones‘ community/

entrepreneurship is encouraged.

The award is $1,000-$2,500

and allows some recipients the

opportunity to attend an all-

expense paid trip to La Jolla, Cali-

fornia for workshops on personal

finance skills and to gain insight

into how the investment manage-

ment industry functions. They will

also tour Denali offices.

The only other requirement

for Dell is to make a presentation to

a group of at least 20 Native

American students and/or tribal

members on a subject

related to personal finance.

School of Mines AISES Presi-

dent Adam Dell recently received

the prestigious Denali Fellowship.

Based in La Jolla, California,

this Fellowship is granted to five-

10 Native college students nation-

wide. Eligibility for the fellowship

is based on: a high GPA (3.0 or

above), one‘s leadership roles with

a focus on those students who have

participated in extracurricular ac-

tivities with Native communities as

well as Native run organizations;

Page 2

“WHEN COAL MINING

IS MENTIONED, THE

MAJORITY OF PEOPLE

ENVISION...

CLAUSTROPHOBIA

AND MEN WITH PICK

AXES...

..MY PERCEPTION OF

COAL MINING WILL

BE FOREVER

CHANGED.”

Deanna is also a non-traditional

student and a member of the Ameri-

can Indian Science & Engineering

Society chapter on campus and an

exemplary student.

There are three different cate-

gories for this scholarship and

awards vary depending on school

the recipient attends. The total

award amount received is approxi-

mately $25,000 for the year, cover-

ing tuition, fees, books, and allow-

ing a travel award and monthly

stipend.

After writing three essays,

turning in two recommendations,

and furnishing additional documen-

tation, Deanna‘s efforts paid off.

―I just received the notifica-

tion today (August 13),‖ she said.

―I‘ve been applying for this schol-

arship for the past four years!‖

Deanna thanked OMA coordi-

nator, Scott Wiley for his recom-

mendation, support, and encourage-

ment during the past year.

The IHS scholarship is

awarded to students who are plan-

ning on working in the underserved

disciplines in the medical field. For

physicians, it is geared towards

students who plan on going into

Family Practice, obstetrics/

gynecology (OB/GYN), podiatry or

other highly-needed IHS areas.

Deanna wants to specialize in

OB-GYN or family practice and

wants to practice in the Black Hills

area or in the Midwest. She also

recently received word that she is a

recipient of the ―Catching the

Dream Native American Scholar-

ship‖ based in Albuquerque, New

Mexico.

A four-year medical school

program is her next step. She will

apply to various schools this year.

―There is a shortage of doctors in

this area,‖ she said, adding that she

would like to work in the IHS sys-

tem, or at least ―where there is a

large concentration of

Native people.‖

This past spring Dr. Carter

Kerk (industrial engineering pro-

fessor) and I (civil engineering

student) had the opportunity to

attend a two-day coal-mining sum-

mit hosted by Peabody Coal in

Gillette, Wyoming. When coal

mining is mentioned, the majority

of people envision the stereotypical

eastern United States, underground

tunnels, confined spaces, claustro-

phobia and men with pick axes

wearing head lamps. This is the

exact opposite of the coal mines in

the Midwest, and Wyoming in

particular. Wide-open prairie, ante-

lope, and massive equipment are a

few things you will see when ven-

turing west.

Peabody Coal geared its first

annual—Coal Mining Summit-

towards minorities and women.

The summit took place at the

Caballo Coal Mine in the Powder

Basin in eastern Wyoming and at

Peabody‘s Headquarters in Gillette,

Wyoming. For two days, our eyes

were opened to the world of open

pit coal mining; the business side,

the environmental side, the opera-

tions side, and sustainability for

future generations.

Many believe that opportuni-

ties for employment are limited to

―mining engineers.‖ Peabody em-

ploys and offers internships to me-

chanical, civil, electrical, geologi-

cal, environmental, and industrial

engineers.

All of the disciplines are vital to

the operations and assist in main-

taining a successful and profitable

mine.

From driving the simulator to

seeing the gigantic bulldozers push

earth, my perception of coal mining

is forever changed.

School of Mines civil engineering stu-dent, Jacqueline DeMent & Industrial Engineering Professor, Dr. Carter Kerk ride the large coal dump truck.

Jacqueline is dwarfed by a big rig tire.

Scott Wiley’s Multicultural Training Diary

Page 3

Volume 1, Issue 2

So I‘m sitting in the commons

and a student says, ―Hey, what‘s

up with these drums?‖

He noticed the Native Ameri-

can traditional drums we have

near the Office of Multicultural

Affairs. His tone of voice told me

he was confused about their pres-

ence on a college campus.

Of course, the incident was an

opportunity to explain that Lakota

culture is very ancient, and many

members want to preserve as

much as possible. This requires

the passing of traditions on to

younger generations and teaching

them the significance of these

traditions

In most Native cultures, the

drum is a centerpiece for any

gathering–from weddings, to hon-

oring ceremonies, to funerals, to

parties.

Note to self: Try to have an

open mind when you run into

someone else‘s context. Before

you decide something is silly,

unnecessary, or disagreeable, try

to find out why it is important to

someone else.

It‘s just basic respect, which

is the first rule of human relation-

ships, whether they be personal,

professional, corporate, athletic,

or whatever.

There is a world of difference

between the mindset that says, ―I

don‘t know what that‘s all about –

I don‘t like it,‖ and, ―I don‘t know

what that‘s all about—tell me

more.‖

―Help me understand‖ is

better than ―Why do you al-

ways…?‖

Be curious. Ask questions

respectfully–not to judge or put

down, but to expand your own

understanding and appreciation for

people who come from a different

background than you.

This is just good advice in

general. It will help you get along

with people who are younger than

you, older than you, speak a differ-

ent first language, or come from a

different part of the city, the coun-

try, or the globe. It will even help

you get along with the opposite

sex!

Remember, you live in the age

of globalization. Get used to it.

Student Spotlight

Clarita Begishe, of Black Mesa

Arizona, is a member of the Diné

tribe (Navajo Nation) and a sen-

ior pursuing a B.S. in mining

engineering at the School of

Mines. Her graduation date will

be in the spring of 2011, and she

maintains a 3.0 grade point aver-

age.

A non-traditional student,

Clarita is a single mother. Her

parents are Shirley and Henry

Begishe, also Diné. The oldest of

six, Clarita has four brothers and

an additional sister. Her oldest

brother attends Oglala Lakota

College.

As the oldest in her family,

she was always self-motivated.

Clarita managed to be in the top

15 percent of her high school

class. She was influenced in her

eventual pursuit of a mining en-

gineering major by both her fa-

ther and her nation.

Automotive Technician

Fresh out of high school, she

went to Crownpoint Institute of

Technology (CIT) on the reserva-

tion for a year and graduated with

a certificate of completion as an

automotive technician.

Upon completion of the

course, Clarita was given a red

tool box by CIT. She still has it

to this day.

―Nobody touches my tool box,‖

she said.

Working in the Coal Mine

After several dead-end jobs,

she worked at the Peabody mine

site in security and driving the

―Wishy-Washy,‖ a large diesel

truck that had a portable water

heater that churned out high-

pressured water. This was at the

height of the winter season, wet

and cold.

―You had to go wash heavy

equipment in the mines. If you

worked on the conveyor belt or

the silo it was just a lot of work.

You had to carry the hose all the

way up – as petite as I am you

had to work extra hard,‖ she

noted.

While working, she also

attended Diné Tribal College. She sought the help of the col-

lege‘s academic advisor who

encouraged her to finish with a

dual–degree, graduating with a

associate‘s degree in both social

behavior science and business

administration.

While finishing these de-

grees, she found a part-time job

at Peabody Coal Mine as clerical

help. A year after graduation, she

began looking for jobs on the reser-

vation and couldn‘t find any. ―They

would tell me, ‗we need someone

with a Bachelor‘s Degree in Social

Sciences, something higher,‘‖ she

said.

South Dakota School of Mines

Looking around at schools,

Clarita considered Montana Tech,

New Mexico Tech, and Colorado

School of Mines. Then she discov-

ered the South Dakota School of

Mines and Technology.

Long having a fascination

about South Dakota‘s Badlands,

Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse,

Lakota Culture, and the Northern

Plains Tribes, she decided to apply

and was accepted.

In 2006, she flew out to South

Dakota alone with one suitcase.

Keeping her GPA high, she re-

ceived several scholarships, includ-

ing the Navajo Nation‘s prestigious

Chief Manuelito Scholarship, sev-

eral freshman scholarships from the

SDSM&T Mining Department, a

multi-cultural scholarship and a

(Continued on page 6)

Clarita Begishe, B.S. mining engineering, AISES

Secretary

“YOU HAD TO GO

WASH HEAVY

EQUIPMENT IN THE

MINES. IF YOU

WORKED ON THE

CONVEYOR BELT OR

THE SILO IT WAS JUST

A LOT OF WORK.

YOU HAD TO CARRY

THE HOSE ALL THE

WAY UP. AS PETITE

AS I AM, I HAD TO

WORK EXTRA HARD...”

Jessica Chretien, African

American, Oglala Lakota, Rapid

City is a senior industrial engi-

neering major. Her parents are

Geraldine Goes-In-Center,

Oglala Lakota and Roger Chre-

tien, a Cajun (mixed blood Afri-

can, Native, Caucasian, and

French) from Louisiana. De-

scribing herself as a-military brat

-who grew up ―all over,‖ Jessie

was born in Louisiana, and even-

tually moved to her mother‘s

place of birth–the Pine Ridge

Reservation.

She went to high school for

several years at Red Cloud on the

Pine Ridge Reservation, and after

moving to Rapid City finished

the two years at Central High

School, where she graduated.

Being of mixed race from

such diverse cultures was not a

hindrance to Jessie.

―Growing up, I didn‘t even

notice I was different,‖ she said.

―Being in the military, every-

one‘s pretty much the same–

everyone‘s parents make the

same amount of money, live in

the same kind of houses. I didn‘t

even notice the differences in

cultures until my dad retired, and

I lived in Louisiana with him.‖

Jessie lived there for about a

year when she was in seventh

grade, before moving to South

Dakota.

Tri-cultures

The cultures of Louisiana are

as diverse in make-up as the ingre-

dients that go into a good gumbo

stew. African cultures blend with

Creole, Native American, and

French to form amazing mixtures

reflected in the language, food, and

the music.

―At first, it was a culture shock,

because I have lighter skin, every-

one assumed I was white but by the

end of the year, I was hanging out

more with the black kids,‖ she said.

―It was just shocking to me as I had

never before experienced people

wanting to separate themselves

because of their family back-

ground.‖

Jessie started eighth grade at

Red Cloud High School on the Pine

Ridge Indian Reservation, which

she described as ―shocking.‖

―Life on the res is different

from everywhere else. It‘s similar

in a way— because there are still a

lot of people separating themselves

because of where they‘re from,‖

she notes. ―I saw that there was

racism here too, not just in Louisi-

ana—down south.‖

Jessie said she didn‘t really

feel too much red-on-red discrimi-

nation because of her lighter skin.

―I don‘t know if I didn‘t no-

tice because I‘m just oblivious to

that.‖

Higher education is important

to her family. She is the third-

oldest of four sisters. Her second

- oldest sister has a degree in

elementary education; her oldest

now attends college and will be

graduating this fall with a degree

in communications broadcasting.

―I‘m the only one in the

technical fields, the STEM

fields,‖ she said. At 26, she

follows in her parents footsteps,

returning as a non-traditional

student. ―My parents didn‘t go to

school until after they had a

family and were much older,‖

she said. Her father has an A.A.

degree in juvenile justice and

works for the District Attorney

in the Louisiana town he resides

in. Jessie‘s mother has an A.A.

degree in social work from

Oglala Lakota College and is a

well-known regional entrepre-

neur, advocate for traditional

indigenous herbs, foods/diet,

author, educator, and presenter.

In 2001, Chretien was on

the path to art school and casu-

ally shopping a school in Colo-

rado for commercial design.

She then received a full-

ridescholarship to a liberal arts

school in Wisconsin.

―You don‘t turn something

like that down,‖ she said. She

also ran on the cross country

team there and made many

friends but decided the degree

wasn‘t for her and left.

Page 4

Student Spotlight

―I KNOW THAT MATH,

ENGINEERING AND

THE SCIENCES ARE

SERIOUSLY

UNDERREPRESENTED

BY WOMEN AND

MINORITIES, SO I

KINDA KNEW

COMING IN THAT I

WOULD BE UNIQUE IN

THE CLASSROOM.”

Jessica Chretien, B.S industrial engineering- Jessie

gives “ thumbs up” before riding the-Tower of

Terror-at Disney World during the national AISES

conference in Anaheim, California.

Activities—Announcements

Jacqueline DeMent, Oglala, La-

kota, Rapid City, a BS. civil engi-

neering junior was born in Pine

Ridge, South Dakota, and grew up

on a ranch just south of Oglala.

Her mother is Deborah Rooks, an

Oglala Lakota also part of the

Rooks clan, (her maternal grand-

father was from Rosebud–the St.

Francis area), and her father is

Henry Franklin DeMent, of

French heritage.

―My dad was a navy brat, the

only son of a naval commander,‖

she noted. Jacqueline‘s grandfa-

ther was a Navy pilot.

―My parents met in the Ma-

rine Corps in San Diego,‖ she

said. She is the youngest of three

sisters–one is her twin (who is a

minute older than she), and a half

-brother from her Dad‘s second

marriage to her step-mother of 24

years, Jinger.

High school

Jacqueline‘s mother remar-

ried to Louie Cook, a Mohawk

from Akwesasne, so the family

relocated to Canton, New York

15 miles from the Canadian bor-

der, when she was in seventh

grade. She lived there until she

was a freshman in high school.

Her step-father had a jazz

radio show, at nearby St. Law-

rence University.

Next, she moved with her

twin to Florida to stay with their

biological father-while her mother

and step-father moved back to

South Dakota.

(Continued on page 7)

Student Spotlight

Chretien continued…

few years at the School of

Mines, Jessie also had a mentor

in the WISE program (Women

In Science and Engineering,

directed by Royia Decker). She

found the campus climate a good

fit, making friends easily. She

joined the cross country team on

campus and ―spent her time

well.‖

―I didn‘t really struggle

academically,‖ she said. ―It was

definitely something to get used

to—the difference—but I was

always really good in school.‖

Through her years at the School

of Mines she said that it was

being a female student that stood

out on campus rather than a mi-

nority.

―I know that math, engi-

neering, and the sciences are

seriously underrepresented by

women and minorities, so I

kinda knew coming in that I

would be unique in the class-

room,‖ she added. ―I think it‘s

been good for everybody

around.‖

Graduating May 2010,

with a B.S in industrial engineer-

ing. Jessie said she‘s not sure

what‘s on the horizon, but is

open and looking ―for all oppor-

tunities.‖

She has taken the GRE in

anticipation of graduate school,

though she hasn‘t picked out a

school or specific program.

She is currently investigating

schools and various jobs she could

get. ―I‘m pretty much open to

living anywhere where the oppor-

tunities are. Leroy is open too,

though he doesn‘t know it yet,‖

she laughs.

Her message to incoming

Native, female, and minority

freshmen is: ―Don‘t be shy. I

think a lot of Natives, especially

coming off the res, have a ten-

dency to seem shier or are shy

because they don‘t make direct

eye-contact usually. Also find

study mates and don‘t give up.‖

Jessie says often times it can

be intimidating in those first few

classes where academically it

might be a lot harder than a stu-

dent anticipates and they might

end up falling behind. ―Stick with

it. Talk to the professors, they‘ll

help you,‖ she said.

The Office of Multicultural

Affairs, she says, has also helped

her somewhat by giving a ―safe-

haven‖ to come to do studying as

well as helping socially.

―I met a lot of people here

I‘ve become good friends with and

have things in common with,‖

she said.

―It‘s been great for networking

and friendships.‖

(Continued on page 6)

Returning to Rapid City

Chretien says her real inter-

est in math, and sciences devel-

oped while at liberal arts college.

From there she came back to

Rapid City, met her future hus-

band and had a child, Leroy, who

is now 5. The marriage didn‘t last

and she has been the sole provider

of Leroy since he was two weeks

old.

―I‘ve just been juggling

whatever works,‘ she said. When

Leroy was older, she began taking

classes part-time both at Oglala

Lakota College and at the School

of Mines, studying accounting.

―I realized I loved the School

of Mines as soon as I came to

campus—the professors, the at-

mosphere, and knew I had to stay

but never realized I would pursue

engineering,‖ she said. Then she

met Dr. Carter Kerk, professor of

industrial engineering, who

helped persuade her toward Indus-

trial Engineering.

―I made it work—applied for

scholarships and got them,‖ she

said. This year, her senior year,

Jessie is the recipient of the Tio-

spaye Engineering Scholarship,

which pays much of her tuition,

provides tutoring, and assists in

providing appropriate career

placement or continued schooling

following graduation. In her first Page 5

Volume 1, Issue 2

“I REALIZED I LOVED

THE SCHOOL OF MINES

AS SOON AS I CAME

TO CAMPUS – THE

PROFESSORS, THE

ATMOSPHERE…AND

KNEW I HAD TO STAY

BUT NEVER REALIZED I

WOULD PURSUE

ENGINEERING,” SHE

SAID. ”

Jacqueline DeMent , B.S. civil engineer

AISES Vice President

Since last summer, Jessie

has been involved in an intern-

ship with the City of Rapid in the

Solid Waste Division under Jerry

Wright. ―He‘s been keeping me

on ever since‖ using her indus-

trial engineering skills. She

completed a physical audit of

their collection system ―spending

a lot of hours outside in a truck,

checking numbers.‘ This year,

he asked her to assist with the

company‘s solid waste manage-

ment plan, and she‘s been get-

ting to consult with city council

members.

―Everything that my boss

gets to do I get to sit in on and

experience so it‘s been really

great,‖ she noted.

As a member of and former

AISES officer (vice president)

and current Institute of Industrial

Engineers officer (president),

Jessie has traveled to the national

conventions, including last year‘s

AISES Convention in Anaheim,

California. ― It was a lot of fun

and I got to meet a lot of people,‖

she said.

As this year‘s recipient of the

prestigious UPS scholarship for

female students, Jessica traveled to

an IIE Conference in Miami, Flor-

ida. She was also featured in the

August 2009 IIE national maga-

zine. She is part of the Industrial

Engineering Honor Society, Alpha

Pi Mu and also has participated in

Drama Club, track and cross

county.

of Rocks, Wyoming, 50 miles

from Rock Springs.

From August to December

2008, she worked for the Canadian

-owned, locally-based Wharf Re-

sources Gold Mining Company.

―As I get more and more

involved in mining, I don‘t know

if I want to do surface or deep

underground mining,‖ she noted,

adding that she hopes to get in-

volved in opportunities at the

Deep Underground Science and

Engineering Lab (DUSEL) in

Lead, South Dakota. ―It‘s some-

thing I want to try—see if I can do

it. I‘m also thinking about going

to get my masters in mining,‖

Clarita said.

Culture shock on campus

“When I received the School

of Mines brochure, I read it, and it

said there was Native American

culture here, and I thought, ‗Wow,

there must be a lot of Lakota peo-

ple here,‘ she said. ―When I got

here and looked around, there was

hardly anybody here, but there

were a few Native American jun-

iors and seniors, and they really

helped me out.‖

It has improved

Caterpillar Scholarship. She is

also a recipient of the prestigious

Rocky Mountain College Schol-

arship. Clarita won the Coal SME

(Society of Mining Engineers)

Scholarship, a scholarship from

Shiprock/Farmington Under-

ground Mining, and the Interna-

tional Order of the King‘s

Daughters and Sons North

American Indian Scholarship,

This year Clarita is part of

the Tiospaye in Engineering

Scholarship program, but decided

to veer away from applying for

more scholarships.

―I decided I am more of a

private person, a family person,

so I decided to pursue loans in-

stead,‖ she noted.

Work opportunities

Clarita had the opportunity

to work with numerous mining

companies while here at the

School of Mines.

As a freshman, she first

worked a summer internship with

Kiewit Mining Group at their site

based in Decker, Montana.

Montana Kiewit asked her

to come back again, but this last

summer, she decided to work at

Black Butte Coal Mine in Point

Clarita noted increasing

improvements in the last few

years on campus in the visibility

of Native students, and women.

―It‘s grown so much. I see

the support that‘s here,‖ she said,

indicating the Office of Multi-

cultural Affairs. ―But being Na-

tive, I don‘t think you should

always protect yourself from

others. Be open-minded.‖

Clarita, references her work

in the coal mine, where she says

she was never treated differently

for being a woman or for being

Native.

She said that social network-

ing is key at the School of Mines

and wants to encourage Native

freshmen to take full advantage

of the Career Fairs, the tips given

by, the South of Mines Career

Center to be sociable and connect

with people—Internships, getting

your name out to get a job, the

Office of Multicultural Affairs,

AISES, and other clubs on cam-

pus.

―There were just so many

barriers I had to cross, but I kept

an open mind,‖ she said. ―Don‘t

let the color of your skin hold

you back.‖

Jessica Chretien continued...

Clarita Begishe continued...

Page 6

Student Spotlight

Jessica (right) assists in the AISES Truss Bridge competition at the Rapid City

Club for Boys last semester.

“THERE WERE

JUST SO MANY

BARRIERS I HAD

TO CROSS BUT

I KEPT AN OPEN

MIND…”

“DON’T LET THE

COLOR OF YOUR

SKIN HOLD YOU

BACK.”

Another successful

AISES

Indian Taco Sale!

October 2009

She attended high school there

for a year and a half, then moved to

Hot Springs, South Dakota, and

finished her high school years. Her

sister, Rachel, stayed in New York,

and attended Rochester Institute of

Technology and is now an M.D.

Education important to the family

―Growing up we were in pri-

vate schools in California,‖ she said,

adding that she was very young

when her parents divorced. ―We

moved back and forth a lot. I‘ve

lived in California, Nebraska, South

Dakota, Florida, and New York. I

went to nine schools in 12 years.‖

Jacqueline credits her early

experience at an academically-tough

private school in California for pro-

viding an important strong educa-

tional foundation in her formative

years.

―My dad always pushed us,‖

she said, ―‗Get A‘s, A-s, A-s and be

good in school.‘ My mom was the

same way , ‗be good in school, get a

scholarship, get your degree.‘ It was

just always ingrained since I was in

kindergarten,‖ she laughs, ‗You‘re

going to college!‘ because neither

of them ever finished college.‖ Her

mother worked for the tribe in vari-

ous jobs in law enforcement, and her

father was a self-taught business-

man.

―Being a twin, making friends,

and moving around that much was

easy because we were unique,‖ De-

Ment noted. ―We had become very

adaptable, outgoing, and friendly

entering a new school, plus we were

always very active in sports, which

also gave us an automatic in to make

more friends through athletics.‖

Jackie excelled in track, basket-

ball, and volleyball in high school

and this continued on into her col-

lege years.

―I was very decorated for high

school track in Hot Springs, South

Dakota. In the two years I was

there, I won five state champion-

ships and two team championships,‖

she said, adding that during her high

school time in New York, she was

chosen as the only freshman to go to

Jackie DeMent Spotlight cont...

Volume 1, Issue 2

state to compete in the 400 hurdles

event.

Being of mixed heritage, De-

Ment said she never experienced the

racism in New York as she has in

the Midwest.

―I don‘t know if it‘s because of

the whole history of the United

States— the clash between the Army

and the Natives out here in the

West— Wounded Knee, Custer—

all those different battles experi-

enced when the early settlers came

out. I found it was difficult when I

was younger and went to school on

the reservation because I looked

white,‖ she said, adding that when

she would travel to border towns of

Chadron, Nebraska or Scottsbluff

they knew she was from the reserva-

tion. ―Then I got it from both sides.‖

The journey to the School of

Mines

Graduating high school from

Hot Springs, DeMent had scholar-

ships to attend the University of

South Dakota for pre-med.

―I had academic and athletic

scholarships and scored pretty high

on my ACT-s so I could go any-

where I wanted,‖ she said. She ini-

tially chose USD for its indoor track

and medical school.

―I went there for a year and

didn‘t like it. I‘m from a small

town, a country girl raised in West

River. East River was really differ-

ent, really preppy,‖ she said. ―I did-

n‘t really fit in.‖ Transferring her

second year to play basketball at a

Wyoming junior college, she blos-

somed.

―I did really well there, was

sent to nationals that year and was

really successful,‖ she said. Her

third year, she transferred to

Chadron State College, with her

sights set on being a sports medicine

doctor.

―I was in the athletics program

at Chadron, taping all the football

player‘s hands,‖ she said. ―Kinda the

grunt job my first year in the pro-

gram.‖ She withdrew in October of

that year, tried to go back her second

semester but it didn‘t work out. She

then met a friend of the family that

she used to ride horses for, a 35-year

retiree from AT&T who would com-

pile crews to work with him.

―At that time, the big pull was

fiber optics,‖ she said. ―It was big.‖

He used his engineering firm con-

tacts to do fiber optic routes and he

needed stakers. DeMent then 21,

with three years of college behind

her, got the job with an engineering

firm in Denver, Colorado.

―But I was pre-med so the years

didn‘t matter,‖ she said. Jackie

moved by herself to Denver to be-

come a field representative. ―I

moved with everything I had in my

car and lived in a hotel for the first

two weeks,‖ she said, adding that

she never went in the field once.

―They got me in the office using the

computers in the Auto-CAD pro-

grams and I caught on quickly,‖ she

said. ―I was pretty computer savvy

anyhow so they made me a drafter.‖

DeMent worked for the firm full-

time making $14 an hour.

―From this, I started finding a

really big interest in engineering,‖

she said. I thought, ‗Wow, this draft-

ing is really cool because it adds

creativity along with my scientific

mind.‘ After a year in Denver, her

father encouraged her to again move

to Florida, as many of his clients

were engineers. As a single girl, she

was ready. In May of 2001, DeMent

moved to Florida. For eight

months in 2001 she worked a Flor-

ida surveying firm and eventually

took a job at a civil engineering

firm.

Here she met Dennis (her ex-

fiancé), the father of her son, Ca-

dence, now 6. After giving birth,

DeMent decided to try to stay home

and go back to school. Resigning

from the firm, she attended classes at

a junior community college in draft-

ing technology.

In December 2003, she de-

cided to move back to South Dakota

with her five month-old baby. She

worked with her uncle in the funeral

business, then with Indian Health

Service.

(Continued on page 8)

Page 7

“BEING A

TWIN, MAK-

ING FRIENDS

AND MOVING

AROUND THAT

MUCH WAS

EASY BECAUSE

WE WERE

UNIQUE,”

DEMENT

NOTED.

Charles Bush and Jacqueline DeMent repre-

senting on the AISES float for M-Week

Parade.

Volume 1, Issue 2

DeMent Spotlight cont...

In the fall of 2005, DeMent

decided to return to school to get her

engineering degree. She moved to

Rapid City, bought a house, but was

still commuting back and forth from

IHS in Martin (a four- hour drive)

for 18 months.

―That was a hard year. I was still

working for IHS, doing a lot of envi-

ronmental engineering,‖ Jackie said.

―I was still going to class on Mon-

days, Wednesdays, and Fridays.‖

In January of 2006, she had

applied at a civil engineering firm,

Dream Design International, based

in Rapid City and also attended the

School of Mines part-time. Her boss

and several engineers she worked

with were School of Mines alumni.

―To me that was God Sent, as it

was right here in town,‖ DeMent

noted.

―I plugged away the best I could

the first three years I was in Rapid

City,‖ she said. ―It wasn‘t until three

years in going to school part-time

and working part-time for the firm,

that I made a breakthrough.‖ An

internship at Montana Dakota Utili-

ties opened up in April 2008 right

across the street from the School of

Mines, and she took it.

―It was geared toward a student

engineer not a drafter working part-

time and going to school part-time,‖

she said.

Currently, DeMent works full-

time at MDU in the summer months

and 10 – 15 hours during the school

year or whatever her schedule al-

lows.

Scholarships

Jackie received the coveted

School of Mines Tiospaye Engineer-

ing Scholarship this fall which com-

bined Pell grants and five other

scholarships, to cover most of her

tuition. She has been a past recipient

of the American Indian Education

Scholarship, several civil engineer-

ing scholarships from the School of

Mines, including the AISES Dr. Jack

Weyland Scholarship. She is also the

recipient of her Oglala Sioux Tribe‘s

Higher Education grant.

―This helped me get through

summer school this summer,‖ she

Page 8

AISES members Jackie DeMent &

Charles Bush demonstrate the

Vinegar Volcano at BHCH American

Indian Science & Engineering

Science Fair.

adding that she wouldn‘t have been

able to go otherwise. Her financial

need is high, she said and because of

this she receives a lot of scholarships.

Campus climate as a Native student

This year, she is focusing her

efforts on AISES where, she said, ―I

can do more and make more of an

impact.‖

―When I first came to campus in

‘05, I was really excited, really, ‗gung

-ho.‘ The environment, however, was

different at that time, and it seemed

difficult to be included.

Last year, she was AISES sec-

retary, and this year, she was voted in

as vice president.

―I make a huge effort to make

everyone feel welcome,‖ she said.

―I‘m very active, spearheading a lot

of different things.‖ She has been at

the helm of establishing a mentor

program for incoming Native fresh-

man, working with OMA coordinator,

Scott Wiley and program assistant,

Abena Songbird this past summer to

implement this, pairing with Native

upperclassmen to help them navigate

through the Mines experience and

aide in their retention.

―Because I‘m a non-trad and

have been in the real world on my

own a few years no one said, ‗do this,

do that,‘ the 30-year-old civil engi-

neering student added. ―I know I‘ve

fumbled through things a lot and

wished I‘d had someone to mentor

me, so I hope that this mentorship

thing we‘re starting will help incom-

ing Native freshmen not feel so alone,

because I felt that way as a non-trad.

Didn‘t go to parties, didn‘t go to Tri-

angle Club those kinds of things. I

was just a single mother trying to go

to school.‖

The professors at this university

make a -―huge effort‖- for single

parents, she says. She has brought

Cadence into her classes before.

―My industrial engineering pro-

fessor used to work for a toy manu-

facturing company, and one day, he

brought one of his toy models in for

my son as a present while he was in

class with me,‖ she said. ―I thought

that was just great. They‘d rather have

me come to class with my son than

that was just great.‖

―I have received tremendous

support and from several people on

campus: Dr. Kenner (my advisor), Dr.

Kate Alley, David Martin, Jolie

McCoy, and Scott and Abena. They

believed in me and helped me through

some really tough times. I am eter-

nally grateful for their understanding

and encouragement.‖

Though sports have taken a back

seat for Jackie to focus on her studies,

this year, she is also coaching her

son‘s soccer team, the Rapid City

Mustangs.

Bright future

Jackie will graduate in May 2011

with her B.S. in civil engineering. She

has yet to choose her emphasis, and is

looking at both environmental and

geotechnical engineering. She was

offered an internship last summer in

Alaska with American Native Tribal

Health Consortium (ANTHC) but as a

single parent depending on her son‘s

father, who was working overseas, to

take Cadence, she missed the oppor-

tunity. ―He didn‘t get back in time,‖

she said, adding that she harbors no

hard feelings. ―When that door

closed, the internship for MDU

opened up which is a year-round gig.‖

She says she also has IHS con-

tacts now in Alaska. ―My old boss

still wants me to come back,‖ she

said. I have opportunities, the Coal

Mining Summit… there‘s a lot, but I

can‘t even begin to speculate where

I‘ll go.‖

She is currently in a steady rela-

tionship with Patrick Van Loan, a

master carpenter who has a daughter

her son‘s age.

―She goes to the same school as

my son. They are in the same grade

and that‘s how Patrick and I met,‖ she

said. ―Another single parent.‖ De-

Ment says the partnership is good

they really balance out and comple-

ment each other.

Recently, Van Loan, 31, spent six

hours constructing a plywood tipi for

the first AISES M-Week float. ―I was

so happy and proud that he offered to

help out. He is really supportive of

(Continued on page 9)

“OBVIOUSLY I

WASN’T GOING

TO STAY IN THE

FUNERAL HOME – I

WANTED TO GO

BACK TO ENGI-

NEERING,” SHE

SAID.

Me. We all congregated at my

house and worked together as a

cohesive unit. AISES members,

Patrick, and Abena, it was great!‖

she said, smiling.

Message to up and coming Na-

tive freshmen

―Use your resources: Scott

and Abena. Take advantage of

everything, every resource tool

that you have,‖ she said. ―Utilize

upper classmen; this mentor/

mentee program that we have

now.‖

―I grew up on the reservation

and know the circumstances,

situations you can encounter.

Even though I don‘t look Native

American I can relate to a lot of

the students,‖ DeMent said. ―I

know they can be discouraged

because of the low minority popu-

lation on campus especially if

you‘re a woman and Native

American but know you are not

alone. We are trying to build a

really good foundation for AISES

and all the Native American stu-

dents. This school and Dr. Carter

Kerk are doing a good job,‖ she

added. ―Just take advantage of

the upperclassmen while you can.

Adam Dell [AISES president,

B.S. IS-Health] is also doing a

great job. I can‘t even say

enough about him as far as what

he‘s done for AISES and to rep-

resent our school and all the offi-

cers. Last year as a group, we had

a huge turn around, and I think

there‘s nothing but good things to

come.‖

―Stay positive, everyone

struggles,‖ she reminded. ―It‘s a

matter of getting back up and

keep going. Don‘t settle for less.

There are so many opportunities

for Native Americans as far as

financial assistance. The sky‘s

the limit with us. I honestly be-

lieve that, especially at the

School of Mines. Once you get

that Mines degree there‘s nothing

that can stop you.‖

Student Spotlight—DeMent continued...

Page 9

Student Spotlight

AISES recipient of 2009 SD Board of Regents Award

was President, Adam Dell and

Vice President, Jessica Chre-

tien. AISES member Deanna

Shoup also received a Board

of Regents Award in recogni-

tion as Outstanding Non-

Traditional Student Organiza-

tion Member.

On April 7, 2009, the School

of Mines Chapter of AISES

received the distinguished

Certificate of Social Recogni-

tion for Community Service

at a special banquet in the

Surbeck Ball Room.

Accepting the S.D. Board

of Regents Award for AISES

“THE SKY’S THE

LIMIT WITH US. I

HONESTLY BELIEVE

THAT ESPECIALLY

AT THE SCHOOL

OF MINES. ONCE

YOU GET THAT

MINES DEGREE –

THERE’S NOTHING

THAT CAN STOP

YOU.”

AISES Recipients of 2009 Board of Regents Award,

from left: Lukasz Dubaj, Student Association Presi-

dent; President Robert A. Wharton, Ph.D.; SDSM&T

AISES President Adam Dell, SD Board of Regents

President, Terry Baloun; Dr. Robb Winter; Scott

Wiley, AISES Advisors. Front Row left: Abena

Songbird, Program Assistant; Clarita Begishe, AISES

Secretary; Jacqueline DeMent, AISES Vice President;

and Dakota Young, AISES member.

Jacqueline puts the finishing touches on a

banner for AISES M-Week float.

Premier AISES Float

“rockin” the

M-Week Parade

501 E. Saint Joseph Street

Rapid City, SD 57701

Phone: (605) 394-1828

Fax: (605) 394-2444

E-mail: Adam.Dell@Mines.sdsmt.edu

AISES

Delegates for the October

AISES National Conference

in Portland, Oregon:

Adam Dell

Jacqueline DeMent

Clarita Begishe

Aarika Begay

Derek Bankston

Katy Buchy

Dakota Young

Jessica Tsingine

AISES 2009 Officers:

Adam Dell, president

Jacqueline DeMent, vice

president

Clarita Begishe, treasurer

Wee Conroy, secretary

The School of Mines AISES Chapter meets weekly in

the lower Surbeck OMA area and is always

recruiting new members and further involvement

from its current members. Elections for the four

AISES Officers positions are held each spring.

Nominations are open to national AISES student

members.

AISES Sponsored Events:

Indian Taco Sales

October 13

AISES National Conference

Portland, Oregon

Oct. 29 -31

United Blood Services AISES

Blood Drive

Nov. 17

Thanksgiving Cultural Feast

with Children‘s Home Society

Nov. 8th

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

American Indian Science & Engineering Society chapter

We‘re on the Web!

multicultural.sdsmt.edu/aises

Welcome New SDSM&T AISES Chapter Members!

2009-2010 AISES Members:

Derek Bankston, new member

Aarika Begay, new member Clarita Begishe, renewal

Katherine Buchy, renewal

Charles Bush, renewal Kimberlynn Cameron, new member

Jessica Chretien, renewal

Weewashte Conroy, renewal Daun Davids, new member

Adam Dell, renewal Jacqueline DeMent, renewal

William Ealy, new member

Tom Fryslie, renewal Dawn Henderson, new member

Liesl Knecht, new member

Nathan Koch, new member Theresa LaRoche, new member

Ryan Mclaughlin, new member

Vern Pino, new member Shawndai Prue, renewal

Jon Ramsey, new member

Dan Reynolds, renewal Vanessa Sevier, new member

Jessica Tsingine, renewal

Tada Vargas-Black Bear, new member John Watters, new member

Beau White, new member

Deidre Wolf, new member Dakota Young, new member

Kevyn Zephier, new member

Daun Davids, new member