Winds of Change - Spring 2017 - 31

FOUNDING VISION
The founding members considered many objectives for their nascent
organization: meet the needs of working professionals; develop and support
students, pre-college through graduate school; provide a consultation resource
for tribal communities; and constitute a task force for special projects.

THE DARK AND
STORMY NIGHT
According to AISES legend,
the founding members
gathered on a "dark and
stormy night" at a remote
location, the Winrock Ranch
in Winrock, Ark. The six were
brought together by principals
at the National Academy of
Engineering, who knew of
AIEC and NSAIE thanks to
A.T. Anderson. The six were
flown in from different parts of
the country, picked up at the
airport, and driven to the
meeting place: a Rockefeller
family estate - set back
behind large iron gates -
on Petit Jean Mountain
(now home to the Winthrop
Rockefeller Institute of the
University of Arkansas).
Carol Metcalf-Gardipe, who
coined the "dark and stormy"
description, remembers their
arrival "far from civilization on
a dark night in a storm that
had washed out roads; but we
arrived at quite a luxurious
ranch."

"George Thomas
once summed up
that meeting when
he said, 'We left
our personal
ambitions and egos
at the door and
were working for
the future.'"

- AL QÖYAWAYMA

"We worked
through a lot about
the organization,
what it represents,
its goals, objectives,
mission, etc., except
the name. I
remember no one
liked any of the
suggestions. Finally,
I said let's just call
it what it is:
American Indian
Science and
Engineering
Society. The name
stood. Al
volunteered to draft
designs for the
official logo, which
came soon after.

- JERRY ELLIOTT
HIGH EAGLE

"As AISES
reaches its 40th
anniversary, my
heart feels the
strength, wisdom,
and fortitude that
our founding
members brought
to create AISES
and to all of those
who have been
our elders, leaders,
and members of
AISES."

Scholarship
and award
winners

- RICK STEPHENS

"It was part of the original dream to
have the students presenting; we
envisioned that our ultimate dream was
to help them earn degrees and then to
make it to the AISES conferences. For
getting the educational programs going
a lot of credit goes to early members
Norbert Hill and Ki Tecumseh."

- CAROL METCALF-GARDIPE

"At the outset of AISES we
recognized the importance of
governance and augured for smooth
transition of Board members and
Executive Directors. So bylaws for
AISES and student chapters were
very important and among the first
jobs undertaken."

- AL QÖYAWAYMA

"The goal from the beginning was to help Indian students go into science and
engineering. We intended not to become involved politically and to remain a
nonprofit."

- JIM SHORTY

"In the AISES beginning, we had to carve out a place for us in both the Indian
and dominant societies. That's what scientists and engineers do best. They
make things happen! Money? We had none! We paid for things out of our
pockets originally and cheerfully, and didn't let economics stand in the way of
our vision. As always, where there was a will, there was a way."

- JERRY ELLIOTT HIGH EAGLE

TIME LINE

THE FORMATIVE YEARS

1975
* National Society of American Indian
Engineers (NSAIE) founded by
George Thomas and Jerry Elliott High
Eagle in Oklahoma

1976

TOP LEFT: ISTOCK

* American Indian Engineering Council
(AlEC) formed by A.T. Anderson,
AI Qöyawayma, and Carol
Metcalf-Gardipe in New Mexico

1977
* Founding members gather in April in
Winrock, Ark.
* AISES founded
* Tax-exempt status secured, and first
membership drive launched

"As chair I turned on the lights,
and the big question before us
was, Could the organization
survive? We believed in it, but
there were so many American
Indian organizations at the
time that didn't."

- AL QÖYAWAYMA

"Special projects were an early

goal of AISES. Jerry Elliott was
able to reserve a few hours' time
on an RCA Satcom 2 satellite
with the objective of networking
East to West Coast tribal
centers and Alaska Natives to
present a radio broadcast and
two-way conferencing, known
today as 'teleconferencing.' As
best we know this was a first,
and these two highly videotaped
conferences were a great success.
This type of work goes toward
tribal infrastructure."

* Al Qöyawayma becomes first
chair of Board of Directors
* AISES incorporated by Jerry
Elliott High Eagle, George
Thomas, and Alex Labadie

1978
* First membership meeting at
Cal State, Los Angeles to
develop bylaws
* AISES emerges onto the
national scene at the
Minorities in Engineering
Symposium, sponsored by
the National Academy of
Sciences
* AISES sponsors
telecommunications satellite
demonstrations with NASA
and RCA

A.T. Anderson
in 1977

»

- AL QÖYAWAYMA

aises.org

SPRING 2017 * WINDS OF CHANGE 31


http://www.aises.org

Winds of Change - Spring 2017

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