Bismarck State College President Emeritus Larry Skogen will present a Zoom discussion titled "To Educate American Indians: An Early 20th Century History" on Monday, March 3.
In a unique exploration of early 20th-century American Indian education, Larry C. Skogen, President Emeritus of Bismarck State College, will lead a special Zoom event titled "To Educate American Indians: An Early 20th Century History."
The event, scheduled from noon to 1:15 p.m., on Monday, March 3, is set to shed new light on the origins and operations of the National Educational Association’s Department of Indian Education during the first decade of the 1900s.
Skogen’s presentation will delve into how, from 1900 to 1909, Indian school educators convened at the NEA’s annual meetings to discuss their unique challenges and contributions within Indian boarding and day schools. Although selected addresses from these meetings have been published in the “Journal of Proceedings” and “Addresses of the National Educational Association,” much of the story behind the creation and day-to-day workings of the Department of Indian Education has remained untold.
Skogen’s recent book, “To Educate American Indians: Selected Writings from the National Educational Association’s Department of Indian Education, 1900-1904,” fills this historical gap by offering a comprehensive look at the department’s inception, its annual meetings, and the full texts of pivotal addresses that have long been circulated only in edited form.
A native of Hettinger, North Dakota, Skogen holds degrees from Dickinson State University, the University of Central Missouri and Arizona State University. His diverse career spans a distinguished tenure in the U.S. Air Force, roles in secondary education and higher education administration and leadership positions at the United States Air Force Academy and the New Mexico Military Institute. He served as the sixth CEO of Bismarck State College and as interim chancellor of the North Dakota University System before retiring and assuming the title of president emeritus in 2020.
The upcoming event is co-sponsored by Humanities ND and North Dakota State University’s School of Education, emphasizing its commitment to broadening understanding of American Indian education history and its impact on contemporary discourse.
Scholars, educators, and interested community members are invited to join the conversation and gain insights into the rich yet often overlooked narrative of Indian education in America’s past.
Participants can join the session via Zoom using the following link:
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 983 2169 6865
Passcode: 071118
For further inquiries or comments regarding the event, please contact Dennis Cooley at dennis.cooley@ndsu.edu or ndsu.npei@ndsu.edu.