The school year is coming to an end, but for students at La Paloma Elementary School, it marks the beginning of something new.
On Friday, members of a local Native American tribe celebrated the opening of a new reading center in the school library.
“It’s an honor for me, it’s an honor for our culture, for my tribe, the Nde Apaches, the people that I represent, and above all it’s an honor because I was called to do this,” said Angel Sanchez Reyes, Chief of the Nde Apaches.
He loves sharing his stories and history and wants it to not be forgotten. “If you ask any Native American about their history, they’re happy to tell you. We just don’t get asked very often, so we want to share it,” he said.
“What better way to teach children about our culture than through a library? They need to know everything about their background so when they grow up they can be as proud as we are,” said Virginia Camacho, a member of the Nde Apache tribe.
Regan Peddo, the school’s librarian, wanted to create a space that would bring history to life.
When she discovered the school was built on top of an ancient burial ground, she wanted to give back in her own small way.
“There’s a lot of history underneath this land here in La Paloma,” Pedo said, “and we have several tribes all around us, so I thought that once we saw that connection, it would be really powerful to open up this beautiful room to remind kids that this is where we are and how we can be better.”
The dark and dreary corner was now filled with colorful murals and books.
And Pedro hopes the space will be a place where students can learn not just about Native American history, but about all history.
“That’s really what this story is about. The elders were all talking about portals and books and how we can find ourselves in the books. What can we find out about each other in the past,” she said.
A grant from former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson funded the new space and provided new books for students in English and Spanish.
