HIS Nation - 75 Years of Stories Like These
Celebrating 75 years
At Holbrook Indian School (HIS), March 6, 2022, marks a high day for current and former students alike. On this day, alumni, former staff, along with representatives from the Pacific Union Conference and the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists together celebrate God’s hand in our school’s 75 years of service. Together, all will recount stories of hope, overcoming, and God’s provision throughout various eras.
At the celebration ceremony, alumni share the impact HIS had on their life. Union president, Brad Newton, talked about the importance of the school’s ministry to Native Americans and the greater relationship with the Adventist Church.
You can watch the live stream below.
HIS 75th Anniversary Celebration Live Stream
The following are video timestamps to the program.
10:35 - HIS Ukulele Ensemble (compromised audio)
18:25 - Principal Ojeda Opening Remarks (compromised audio)
20:47 - Greetings from General Conference president Ted Wilson (Pre-recorded)
24:55 - Greetings from North American Devision president Alexander Bryant (Pre-recorded)
26:19 - HIS Then and Now Historical Video (Pre-recorded)
38: 53 - Dr. Berit von Pohle (School Board Chair) remarks
43:30 - Dr. Brad Newton (PUC President) Importance of HIS ministry to Native Americans as part of the greater work of the Adventist church
50:43 - Gift of Thanks (Native Pottery) to Brad Newton.
52: 28 - Special Music by Naomi Jackson (Head Girls’ Dean)
59:00 - HIS Impact on Me, HIS Alum Jovannah Poor Bear-Adams shares how HIS helped in her healing and transformed her conception of Christianity
1:10:53 - Presentation of gift commemorating 75th Anniversary by HIS volunteer Della Ault
1:17:07 - Presentation of pottery and plaque to Bev Benson for well-project in memory of Ted Benson
1:30:10 - HIS Choir
1:37:32 - Closing remarks, closing prayer Sam Hubbard (HIS Navajo Language/Government teacher)
A Brief History
Holbrook Indian School, like many ministries, started with very humble beginnings. Marvin Walter was a missionary working for the Arizona Conference, and he set out to learn about the needs of the Navajo. As Marvin talked with the people, he discovered their desire for their children to receive an education.
With his wife Gwendolyn and funding from the Pacific Union Conference, they set out to build a school. In 1945 the missionary couple moved to Holbrook, Arizona where a new school was built.
With 320 acres of land in Holbrook, the first mission school term started in 1946. That fall, 30 children sat on sheepskin rugs reciting their first lessons in a foreign language—English. This became the first class of students of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission School, now known as Holbrook Indian School.
ALUMNI
““My father had a dream for his children to receive an education. That is why he brought us to the SDA mission school [HIS].”
—Charlotte Beyal, ”
Through the years, many people have come to work at HIS. The school has grown to serve more than 100 children and youth who annually enroll at HIS and Chinle Adventist Elementary, a day school on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona.
Throughout the past 75 years, students from many Nations have come to Holbrook. Students from HIS have become nurses, teachers, pastors, accountants, dentists, welders, private business owners and have served in the US military.
Charlotte Beyal
First Navajo judge magistrate in Flagstaff, AZ.
One student, Charlotte Beyal, became the first woman and Navajo judge magistrate in Flagstaff, AZ.
Charlotte says:
“My father had a dream for his children to receive an education. That is why he brought us to the SDA mission school.”
Today we are happy and humbled as we see a number of our students fulfilling their potential. Thanks to God’s faithfulness through the support of “HIS” friends, students have chosen to break the cycle and have also gone on to help others learn how to do so.
Department review
Much of what our school does today continues from our past, celebrating and uplifting Native American heritage, as well as practical whole-person learning. Classes such as welding, auto mechanics, indigenous arts, and woodworking have been conducted throughout the years. More recently, we have also included supplementary programs like Outdoor School, Equestrian Facilitated Learning, College Transition, Summer Experience, and licensed clinical counseling.
The wholistic approach to learning that HIS has always taken over the years recently became a more formal and systematic program with a name–MAPS. The program has four pillars - Mental, Academic/Artistic, Physical, and Spiritual. It is through this framework that we formulate the objectives for all of our general and advanced classes, educational opportunities, and programs.
When you give to the Holbrook Indian School, you are not just helping our students to learn. You are helping them gain confidence and discover their potential by providing something many of our students don’t have; a safe haven to live, learn and grow.
You are giving them the opportunity to overcome the trauma and a mistrust of people that may be holding them back.
If you would like to find out more about the needs of the Agriculture Program, or any of our other programs visit our programs page or contact the Development Office at:
(928) 524-6845 ext. 109 or development@hissda.org.
Thank you for your support.