Mom and Daughter Duo Show Support for Native Students
By Emily Clarke
Sherman Indian School is a Native American boarding highschool located in Riverside California and home to students from over 76 federally recognized tribes across the United States. Originally opened in 1892 as the Perris Indian School, Sherman now works hard to provide a culturally-conscious education to Native students grades 9-12. Because many of the students at Sherman come from reservations out-of-state or struggle with poverty, there is a need for personal care items, school supplies, snacks and other necessities. Sherman Indian School is also one of the only schools still operated by the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs/Education), therefore underfunding is a huge issue. That’s why LeeAna Espinoza Salas, a local Cahuilla descendant and tribal education employee, hosts a Sherman fundraiser every year.
“Students will sometimes even go without things like toothbrushes,” LeeAna notes.
It was LeeAna’s mom, Bernadette Juanita Espinoza, who originally started the fundraiser around five years ago. In the beginning, Bernadette was just collecting pairs of socks for the students who may need them, but as time went on, the supply drive grew into collecting basic necessities, toiletries, and even accepting monetary donations. She worked with Lorene Sisquoc, an enrolled member of Fort Sill Apache and another Cahuilla descendant, to determine what the Sherman students were in need of. Lorene serves as the Sherman museum curator and as an educator at Sherman Indian School, so she had first hand experience understanding what the student body lacked in terms of personal items. Within the last couple of years, LeeAna and her partner, Alex Armendariz, have begun helping Bernadette with the fundraising as the project grows larger. They were even able to collect supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic and ship it to students in need while they were pursuing their education back at home with their families. The 2022 fundraiser has just ended, and LeeAna says it was so successful that they were able to start a small scholarship fund with the donations they received.
“Generally we begin the fundraiser in July or August in order to have the items ready when the students start their school year. People are encouraged to shop on their own and buy what is requested (hygiene products, socks, snacks, and school supplies) or they can ship items to our drop-off locations, or make a monetary donation via Venmo, Zelle, or Cashapp,” LeeAna explains.
LeeAna and Bernadette believe that the local community has a responsibility to help take care of Native students at Sherman Indian School in order to help further their education. Many of the students are far from home, and donating things like snacks, socks, and school supplies can help them understand that they have a community supporting them here in Riverside.
LeeAna believes that a good education begins with a healthy mindset.
“Having access to personal care items is important for everyone because if your basic needs are met, you are more likely to have a better daily routine and your health and wellness will be improved. This allows the students at Sherman to focus on their academics rather than worrying about how they will get supplies they need for their daily wellbeing,” She says.
Although the fundraiser has come to a close for this year, LeeAna, Bernadette, and Alex welcome you to keep an eye out for their fundraising in 2023 and to consider what you as a community member can do to support Native students not just at Sherman, but everywhere. The relationship between institutions and Native people has not always been a smooth one, but tribal communities have the power to uplift our students and change the course of history by showing our support. Many students at Sherman have taken a leap of faith by committing to moving away from home to pursue their education; as community members, it is our responsibility to show them that they are supported, appreciated, and cared for. You can keep up with the fundraiser and make scholarship fund donations by contacting LeeAna on Instagram or Facebook.
