Tribal educator honored

The Daily Inter Lake

Flathead Valley Community College President Jane Karas presented her fourth annual Montana Mentor Award to Joseph McDonald, president of Salish Kootenai College, during the college's 41st commencement recently.

The award was created in 2006 to honor a community leader who inspires through leadership, vision, integrity and passion and who exemplifies the meaning of mentor.

McDonald is the founder and president of Salish Kootenai College.Under his leadership, the college moved from its initial home as a satellite campus to a campus consisting of 53 modern buildings situated on 128 acres in Pablo.

Prior to the college, McDonald worked as a high school principal and assistant superintendent from 1968 through 1976 in Ronan and created the first Native American Studies program in Montana public schools.

In Karas' presentation, she acknowledged McDonald as "an individual who has used his gifts of vision, leadership and encouragement to help thousands of individuals."

In her remarks, she noted, "he has dedicated his life to helping people help themselves."

Karas recognized McDonald for his role as a mentor to students across Montana, to educators across many nations and to many elected officials from sovereign nations, Montana and Washington, D.C.

She said McDonald was a "great role model not only for his friends and relatives but for all Indian country."

Karas acknowledged him for providing her advice and support when she became Flathead Valley Community College president and when she was appointed commissioner on the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

McDonald is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including The University of Montana's highest recognition-an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters and The University of Montana Foundation's "Fifty Greatest Grizzlies."

He holds honorary doctoral degrees from Gonzaga University and Montana State University.