Why do we keep bringing up the racial issue.  This is a problem with the school and it's lack of options, not some issue over who was here first.  Stick to the topic, please!

But since you bring it up, I have often wondered how people feel about this. 

Say you own a plot of land, you are down on your luck so you decide to sell the plot to Mr. John Doe.  Mr. Doe brings cash and it is considered paid in full.  - - - - - - -20 years go by - - - - - - - - Land values go up with time and you regret selling your land.  Can you go and track down Mr. Doe and try to get more money for the land you sold to him all those years ago?  No, you can't.

Even better say you were the person buying the land, how would you feel if the former owner, who you have already paid, tracked you down and demanded that you pay for the land again and again? 

I know the land under the lake is getting paid for over and over, but the thing nobody talks about here, is the FACT that there was non-natives that owned land that is under the lake.  No matter if you like it or not, they paid for their land too.  It wasn't them took the Indian's land.  The government made these deals with the Indians.  A lot of times, they drew up shady deals to aquire it.  But the fact is the land was then sold to people that actually worked hard to buy it from them. These people have never had any reimbursement for their land.  Every time I hear the same old argument of how the tribes land was lost when the lake was formed, I think what about the rest of the people that had land that was flooded there.

Now I tend to avoid these arguments as I live in the heart of the reservation, but when I run into narrow minded people on either side of the argument, something needs to be said.

This post is a school issue as far as I can tell, lets keep it as that.   As long as the school is considering itself a PUBLIC school, getting tax money from the US Govt. to operate, then it would be very wrong to ask that non-natives to move away.  Are you stuck in the 50's?  Maybe you miss the days of segregation?  Until we do away with all these negative viewpoints, will we ever getting beyond the race issues. 

you know this is bs....the native americans owned this land from the very beginning...THE VERY BEGINNING.....and the white people took over their land...if the native americans take the land back to have a reservation, they have all rights to that.....and if the white people are living there....they need to respect the fact that they are living on the reservation and if they dont like it then they can move off the reservation. most people dont see it but they owe native americans alot more than they think they do....by taking over their land they took over their culture and now the tribes have very little of their culture left and they want to value that. It is all about RESPECT for their culture....and if you dont want your child to learn this then move or change schools. and with the tax money bs...excuse you we owe it to them and you know they pay taxes too....so stfu travislee_johnson

I can't speak for the original creator of this post, however, I can tell you exactly what I was told by the school superintendant. 

We have five kids total, ages 17-2.  We (Myself & my wife), thought it would be better served for our children to learn a language that they could use in a broader sense than Hidatsa.  We approached Mr. Bluestone about this, he stated that the school had wanted to teach Hidatsa to promote tradition and culture at the school.  This is fine with me, however, seeing as though we have no family attachments to the Hidatsa culture, we wished that our kids not learn this language.  Mr. Bluestone then stated that the school was making it manditory that all students take this class, and there was no way to take our kids out of the class.  He then stated that when our kids would get to the high school they would then have a choice in which classes that they take.  The school then relabeled the Hidatsa class, "Native Studies".  Our kids are still having to learn to speak Hidatsa in this class.  As I have said before, I really don't care if the school teaches Hidatsa or not, however it should be an elective.

So, in all I think that the title is fairly accurate for this post.   Our kids had no alternative to taking this class, so what would you call it.

I was born and raised in New Town, and continue to live here.  I graduated from NTHS, never learned a second language, and continued my way to a four year college.  So unless some new policies were inacted recently, you didn't need a second language.  I agree that finding adequate teachers to teach foreign languages might be a problem, but if the school district doesn't pursue getting these teachers, they aren't going to fall out of the sky.  From everything that I heard from my meeting with the school, it doesn't sound like anyone there is even trying to find a teacher for any other language.  This in it's own right is very close minded, and futher limits any options our kids have.  And the kids after all are the MOST IMPORTANT thing. 

I just don't see my kids finding any use for this language anywhere except here on the reservation.  How many people do you think speak Hidatsa in France, Germany, or even New York City?  I think it would be a better use of school funds to teach our children a more main stream second language, but that means the school would have to actually look for one of these teachers.  It shouldn't be up to the parents to go find the teachers.   I know it is possible, when I was in NTHS, they offered Spanish,French, German, and Japanese.  So don't say it isn't possible.  The school board just has to quit being so narrow minded and look to offer these options. 

 This has nothing to do with what race you are, which race I am.  THIS HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE.

First of all, I do not like the title of the subject. No one is forcing anyone to do anything. How would I know, I work there, and I graduated from there. First thing, in order to get into a 4 year college you need a second language on your high school transcript, whether that is german, spanish, or chinese. Doesn't matter. Second, there is a shortage of teachers that can speak a second language. So if there is a teacher out there that can speak dutch or whatever the language may be, contact the superintendent, Im sure he would be glad to talk to you. So all you you think its about race or forcing children to do whatever, you are so wrong. Take a step back and look at the picture once and awhile.

In studying the eight pages of information provided, I am amazed that so much negativity can be brought forward because a school district that exists on a reservation chooses to teach language and culture to their students.  The school district should be commended not made a target of ridicule.  Most people will tell you that the New Town school district is a good school district and that many people are proud of their children attending this school system.  I have three children who graduated from the New Town School District and are doing well.  They all participated in the language courses and it didn't seem to cause them any harm.  In fact, I believe it made them better students.   I have a student in the elementary school who happens to enjoy the language classes.  He is an A-B student who enjoys learning.  I am glad that he participates in this class. 

It is unfortunate that people like bservice would rather spend time making negative comments and bringing down our school system instead of focusing on the positives of the school system.  How often has bservice or his wife volunteered to serve on a parent committee or help with fundraising or other school activities?  I would venture to guess that he hasn't.  It might be better if beservice sent his children to a neighboring school district which would better suit his "negativeness".  I would also venture to guess that he is the one with the problem - - his kids are probably doing well in school and interacting well with the other students! 

I don't think it should be manitory for young school children. The only language that should be a forced language is English and it's proper use and spelling.  Too many today can't splel  very well.  Me included.:) 

I think native language could be offered starting at the junior high level along with German, Spanish etc.  If parents want children to know any other language then english when they are elementary age, teach it to the children on your own.  The public schools can't do it all for parents.