Hopi Tribe graduates 12 in first tribal work program

<i>Photo by Rosanda Suetopka Thayer/NHO<br>
Front row, from left to right: Belena Harvery, Chassity Gould, Anthony Duekpoo and Jacqueline Sinquah. Back row: Jason Yaiva, Lance Talaswaima, Nathan Sockyma, Michael Thayer, Marlin Silas and John Malmos (ADOT Instructor). Not pictured:  Vern H. Koruh, Gaylene Lomatuwayma and Craig Andrews.

<i>Photo by Rosanda Suetopka Thayer/NHO<br> Front row, from left to right: Belena Harvery, Chassity Gould, Anthony Duekpoo and Jacqueline Sinquah. Back row: Jason Yaiva, Lance Talaswaima, Nathan Sockyma, Michael Thayer, Marlin Silas and John Malmos (ADOT Instructor). Not pictured: Vern H. Koruh, Gaylene Lomatuwayma and Craig Andrews.

The goal - to develop highly-skilled, dependable Hopi construction workers that will increase the demand for employment opportunities, training in specialized technical and vocational work areas thereby increasing the number of Hopis at all construction sites.

The brainchild of the Hopi Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) and under the direction of Brant Honahnie and Mary Cook of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), the first time work force training program graduated 12 local Hopis and Navajos June 26 after a special six-week long program. The program was supported by Northland Pioneer College, Hopi High School, the Hopi Education and Scholarship office, Workforce Investment Act, Hopi Tribal Planning and Development Office, Hopi Headstart, Tribal TANF, Office of Abandoned Mine Lands, Flagstaff Carpenters Union and the Office of the Hopi Chairman and Vice Chairman.

All these agencies worked together since November 2004 to develop this new program that would give local reservation area students another viable, lucrative career choice.

TERO Director Honahnie credited past Hopi Tribal Chairman Wayne Taylor with seeing far into the future for training Hopis to do construction work, specializing in iron, electrical, plumbing, construction and design with continued upgraded lifetime training by providing them with tribal executive support to find funding sources and agency partners on a formal tribal level.

It was then that Chairman Taylor had asked about workers at the local power plants and he found out that there were very little to no Hopi employees at these positions.

So with the original initiative, the first discussions were developed, which has now branched out into the current partnership. It has yielded such a successful program that another session of classes is going to be offered to young Hopis and Navajos in August.

These classes will begin Aug. 18 at the Northland Pioneer College Keams Canyon campus. Classes will include certification classes in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protocols, flagging, blueprint reading and drawing, welding, carpentry, all construction trades and heavy equipment operation.

In developing this Hopi Apprenticeship Program, visits were made to the tribal program at the Hualapai Nation, which has its own tribal program housed in its own training program building, constructed for just this specific purpose.

Hopi is hoping for such a building in the near future, too, so that all of this training will result in formal state certification and union-related referrals.

This type of program will allow flexible movement of successful program participants to log in apprenticeship hours on the job and then transfer those hours to local carpenters unions in Flagstaff, thus providing a seamless transfer of hours to formal union apprenticeships.

Cook said, "This class that graduated had excellent attendance and even more importantly, excellent completion of the six-week program. With this type of commitment from students at the Hopi site, it will be more convincing to find more partners who want to invest in Hopi workers. I am thrilled to have been a partner with Mr. Honahnie of the TERO office at the Hopi Tribe."

Hopi Tribal Chairman Ben Nuvamsa was at the graduation ceremony in Keams Canyon and recognized the graduates, stating, "Congratulations to each of you on your recent completion of this work force program. It's good that each of you are now focused on a career that is something that you will really enjoy. I would like to especially acknowledge Brant Honahnie for showing his belief in your skills. He has been very persistent in lobbying the Hopi Council to support this program, we are hoping with this recent success, that the Council will now attach some money to show their support for this kind of specialized training program."

Brant Honahnie added, "I want to thank the partners that contributed to the Pre-Apprenticeship class that has made it successful. Its an prime example of what Hopis call, Sumi'nangwa-Nami'nangwa effort. I want to wish each student good luck in their future, and hope that this class has provided new career ideas for you. I hope that the Hopi Workforce group will continue with the effort to build a Hopi Vocational training center, here on Hopi. This will mean finding land to build the center, finding resources to fund the construction, funds to operate the training center including salaries for the management and instructors. Our people need to have construction skills training opportunities because not all of our students are interested in college or universities. Hopefully our tribal leaders, communities, schools and parents will apply some pressure to the Hopi Tribal Council to provide some start up funds for this Hopi training center."

The August Hopi Pre-apprenticeship is open to both men and women, but participants must be committed to the full six weeks. The program will take place from Aug. 18 to Sept. 25 (Monday-Thursday) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Applicants must provide proof of age (18 years or older), high school diploma or GED, valid driver's license, and be able to provide their own transportation.

For more information, call the Hopi Tribal Workforce Investment Act Program at (928) 734-3543.

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