Indians urged to value education

MURRAY — When eighth-grader Garrett Yazzie saw his mother suffer in the cold winter on the Pinon, Ariz., Indian reservation, the young Navajo boy turned to an alternative energy source.

Using aluminum cans, car parts, Plexiglas and other scraps found in a junkyard, Yazzie built a homemade radiator, cutting his family's heating expenses in half and eventually becoming the first Native American to attend Discovery Channel's Young Scientist Challenge.

Dubbed the "junkyard genius," Yazzie urged Utah Indians on Saturday to value their education.

"Overall I learned that one teacher can make a difference in the student's life. I would like to encourage all you students to take your education seriously," he said. "There's nothing more important than doing it for your family, your tribe and yourself."

Yazzie was the keynote speaker at the eighth-annual Native American Indian Youth in Utah Conference. The event, held at Murray High School, was part of the kick-off for American Indian History and Culture Month.

The conference was planned by the State Office of Education, various school districts, and Native American tribes and trading posts. In addition to speakers and traditional musical numbers, student awards were presented.

The youths were urged by state officials to draw upon their culture for strength and to remember the importance of their heritage.

"History tells us who we are, what we're about. It instills a sense of pride and self-confidence and knowledge," said Forrest Cuch, part of the Ute Indian Tribe and director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs.

Cuch said today, history is still unfolding and the truth of the Native American's 13,000-year history on the U.S. continent is beginning to come forward.

"Why is it that so many American Indian people fight and join the military? Well, it's because we know war. We've experienced it in our own backyard. We know terrorism," he said.

Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert said his Mormon pioneer ancestors are an inspiration to him, and youths should also look toward their ancestors, whoever they may be.

"I look to them for strength and draw from their determination to make me a better person," he said. "We all have a legacy and heritage, and sometimes it's good for us to sit back and ponder and review what brought us here today."

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