Carmen Nez wraps one of her students in her jacket as others give her hugs during an outdoor recess at the Hintil Kuu Ca Childhood Development Center in Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Tribune/Laura A. Oda)

Well, this story is just sad as sad can be. Oakland’s Hintil Kuu Ca preschool, started for Native American children, is on a list of preschools to be eliminated as California tries to cope with its deficit.

The school has a long history, according to this Oakland Tribune story by Katy Murphy.

Almost 40 years ago, a group of Native American mothers founded Hintil Kuu Ca, which means “The Indian children’s place,” to help their young children succeed in a strange, new urban environment. Many of them had recently moved to Oakland with their families from reservations and were caught between worlds. Some children were dropping out of elementary school, said Agnes Tso, who has taught at Hintil since 1981.

“The parents started the school because they were really concerned about their kids not having a place,” she said. “I think they were just lost.”

Hintil now serves mostly non-Native American children; about 15 of its 90 preschool and school-age students are American Indian. Guevara asserts that the center is an important resource for the community, and that it’s the only urban childhood development center in California with an American Indian cultural focus.

Teacher Shirley Guevara says that other teachers, along with parents and Native leaders, are seeking grants and asking Indian casinos for helping in keeping the school open.

Gwen Florio

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