Dr. Richard St. Germaine Recognized as Educator of the Year by National Indian Education Association

Prolific writer, speaker and charismatic leader from Lac Courte Oreilles, Dr. Richard St. Germaine, received the 2012 Educator of the Year Award at the National Indian Education Association Convention on October 21, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Rick was one of five NIEA members honored for their significant accomplishments in improving the lives of American Indians through education.

Rick has a long history of Indian activism, from the Winter Dam takeover in the 1970s, to national recognition as an expert in and proponent of Indian education. Rick received a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a master’s of education and doctorate in Educational Administration from Arizona State University. He spent two years at Harvard University where he was Senior Visiting Scholar with the Kennedy School of Government and Lecturer with the Graduate School of Education.

Rick is a retired Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and is now employed by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (Minn.) in the planning, development and administration of educational institutions. He contributes his time to Lac Courte Oreilles as Coordinator and Consultant to the Lac Courte Oreilles LEARN Commission.