National Indian Education Association names Lawrence woman Parent of the Year

photo by: Contributed

Carole Cadue-Blackwood, of Lawrence, has been named Parent of the Year by the National Indian Education Association.

Carole Cadue-Blackwood, of Lawrence, received the Parent of the Year Award from the National Indian Education Association at the organization’s annual convention last week in Hartford, Conn.

Jennifer Attocknie, the Lawrence school district’s Native American student services coordinator, and Alex Red Corn, a Kansas State University assistant professor of education, nominated Cadue-Blackwood for the award for her leadership role in the renaming of South Middle School for Native American Olympian Billy Mills.

Cadue-Blackwood is the mother of two daughters attending Lawrence schools and is a member of the Kickapoo Tribe. She requested in June 2017 that the Lawrence school board rename South as Billy Mills Middle School and organized support for the change, which the board approved in February.

Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, attended Haskell Indian Nations University when it was called Haskell Institute, then graduated from the University of Kansas. He was the 1964 Olympic gold medal winner in the 10,000-meter run. After retiring from running, Mills was a co-founder of Running Strong for American Indian Youth, which seeks to ensure that the basic needs of Native Americans are met.

Mills will participate in a rededication ceremony marking the name change of the school and its 50th anniversary at 9 a.m. Nov. 3 at Billy Mills Middle School, 2734 Louisiana St.

Related story

Feb. 26, 2018 — Lawrence school board approves changing name of South to Billy Mills Middle School

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