American Indians are undervalued because of miseducation

by BRYNN TOLMAN Meet Nola Lodge and Forrest S. Cuch (slideshow best viewed in full-screen mode) Many American Indians today say their culture and history have been lost. They are now fighting to restore truth to the curriculum. For years, elementary school students have been taught that Columbus discovered a new land, America — a [...]

Teaching Native American children in Utah

by ALLISON JOHNSON Forrest S. Cuch, 57, executive director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, is a man with a mission to change the way Native children are educated in Utah. Despite improvements in the state’s education system over the past decade, Native American children continue to struggle scholastically. With high drop-out rates and [...]

Empowerment through education

by AARON K. SCHWENDIMAN According to the National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools rose 26 percent between 1985 and 2007. As enrollment in public schools and adult education programs increases in the United States, the quality of what is taught to children and adults becomes more important. Jennifer Isleib, [...]

Salt Lake American Indian leader promotes more accurate teaching of history

by CHRIS MUMFORD For an illustrative example of how American Indian culture impacts people every day, look no further than a plate of spaghetti. Although typically associated with Italian culture, the pasta dish’s roots can actually be traced to America and Asia. Tomatoes, the key ingredient in marinara sauce, were first domesticated by American Indians [...]

A Utahn’s search for culture, history and education

by RITA TOTTEN “If you don’t have a command of history you are vulnerable,” said Forrest Cuch, who has been the executive director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs since 1997. As director he works to enhance intergovernmental relationships throughout Utah. His experiences at the Division, coupled with his history as an educator, have [...]

Utah Division of Indian Affairs seeks more accurate history education

by ANNE ROPER “History is a race between education and catastrophe,” said writer and historian H.G. Wells.  Forrest Cuch, executive director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, has been in the thick of that race for decades, and shows no signs of slowing his pace. The importance of teaching accurate history is paramount for Cuch, [...]

Two Utahns find power in their personal history

by BRYNN TOLMAN “History empowers people!” says Forrest S. Cuch, director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs. Cuch, a Ute, is one of the many people who has used his history to find power and strength. He says, “What I’ve learned from my own history is my own humanity; my good side along with my bad [...]

Expert wants to expand Native American education in Salt Lake

by LANA GROVES Forrest Cuch said he was lucky to have parents who could afford to give him a private education. Unlike other American Indian children, Cuch learned English at a young age, stayed in school and finished his undergraduate degree by 25 years old. He said many children growing up on an American Indian [...]