Blue Lake Rancheria Holds Native Technology Summer Camp

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MCKINLEYVILLE, CA (KIEM) – 7th and 8th graders build solar panel cell phone chargers and miniature wind turbines at a Pathmakers Summer Vamp. Its an education program in Humboldt County that was developed by the Blue Lake Rancheria to integrate Native American technologies into the classroom. The Camp was held at McKinleyville High School.

Cutting electrical wires, and putting them through a wooden solar panel board. It’s an effort to teach students traditional Native American technologies.

“Well, it’s like the beginning of the tip of the iceberg kind of deal. We get them start to thinking, and how they can find better ways to use energy, to not waste energy, and to do our part as custodians of the environment,” said Leroy Trip, an Indian Education Advisor.    

The curriculum is through Pathmakers. It engages students with a hands-on experience. That way they get a sense of what it’s like to go into a steam related field.

“I just enjoy making things. Its fun. Its better than learning by watching something. By doing it with your hands, you get to know how to do it even better than you normally do,” said Pachomio Feliz, a camp-goer.  

Pachomio Feliz is a camper who enjoys building things with his hands. The idea of being able to learn how to use a circuit board and trying different things is what excites him.

“We had to make like a circuit board with like pegs and stuff. We programmed it so it does solar panel and wind,” said Feliz.

The goal of rolling out the Pathmakers Curriculum is to bring the program to north coast schools.

“In this area, the Native American students tend to be enrolled with Non-Native Americans. They’re kind of spread out throughout the school. So its really hard for us to specifically target that group,” said David Narum, who proposed the Pathmakers Program.  

For more information on the Pathmakers curriculum, go to their website at  BlueLakeRancheria-NSN.Gov.