Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians chairperson Aaron Payment has been named to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.
Appointed by President Obama to the council, Payment will serve as an advocate for education.
"In my role, I will advise the Secretary of Education on Title VII Indian Education funding in the public schools, Johnson O'Malley funding at the tribal level, Impact Aid funding and other Indian educational issues," says Payment in a statement released by
Northern Michigan University, where Payment is an alumnus and current graduate student.
He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in public administration from NMU, and currently is pursuing a master's degree in educational administration with an American Indian emphasis, and an education specialist degree, both from NMU.
Payment also is working on a doctorate from Central Michigan University, with a dissertation looking at Native American educational outcomes at the college level. He has served on the board of the J.K. L. Bahweting Anishnabe Public School Academy, a charter school of Northern's in Sault Ste. Marie, from 1998-2003, serving as president for three years, and also was a dean's assistant in the Dean of Students' Office and the minority retention coordinator at NMU from 1989 to 1990.
Writer: Kim Eggleston
Source: Northern Michigan University
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