WASHINGTON – After a slow 2009 for Indian education, federal lawmakers and Obama administration officials are being asked to more steadily focus on improvement.

A major desire for Indian educators is that their needs are addressed in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is on this year’s legislative agenda for Congress members.

Several Indian educators have already reached out to retiring Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., to request that he focus increased energy on Indian education in his last year in Congress.

Some feel that he and other Congress members have spent plenty of time addressing reservation law and order issues, but comparatively little time on Indian education.

Creating high-level federal Indian education positions, fostering language and cultural learning, and increasing funding for Indian serving institutions are all top priority areas of the National Indian Education Association.

Marcus Levings, chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes, recently penned a letter to Dorgan, insisting that there is a need for a new Indian Education Act, specifically one that increases tribal control and involvement.

“Education is the centerpiece of our self-reliance agenda and the cornerstone in our economic development strategy,” Levings wrote.

“Indian country as a whole will never be able to tackle its enormous challenges in health, governance, economic development, housing, transportation, and youth issues until education needs are addressed.”

Staffers for Dorgan have said the chairman supports the idea of a stand-alone Indian education bill, similar to what Levings and other tribal leaders envision.

In this contentious election year, education may be an area where legislative successes can be had, as it is generally a bipartisan area. President Barack Obama said as much in his State of the Union Address, promising to focus more on education needs of the country this year.

Already in 2010, Department of Education and Interior officials have met with tribal leaders on Indian education specifically.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said after a Jan. 11 meeting with tribal leaders that it is clear to him that “we must do more to ensure that American Indian students receive an academically rigorous, culturally appropriate education that will prepare them to be productive citizens and leaders in their communities and help to build safer, stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Indian communities.”

Education Secretary Arne Duncan has also expressed interest in supporting Indian education needs.

Legislative briefings have occurred, and at least one member of Congress has already introduced Indian-focused education legislation.

On Jan. 20, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., introduced bipartisan legislation to address the lack of stimulus funding reaching Bureau of Indian Education schools in her state and across the country.

The bill, with 16 bipartisan co-sponsors, would allocate a small percentage of the government’s “Race to the Top” funds and the Innovation Fund for Native students at BIE schools.

Ryan Wilson, former NIEA president and founder of the National Alliance to Save Native Languages, is supportive of the bill.

“No right is more fundamental to the spirit and heritage of America than inclusion. Congresswoman Betty McCollum has proven yet again to be a trusted voice of authority on Indian education and an emerging congressional leader in Indian affairs.

“We urge Congress to act swiftly and pass this badly needed legislation. In doing so, they will send an unambiguous message to Indian country that America’s first people won’t be segregated to second-class citizenry and second-class education. This is a crucial step toward educational opportunity for the people who need it the most.”

Wilson is confident that momentum will continue to build in Congress and the Obama administration to support Indian education efforts this year.