The school is clearly the pride of the community and well maintained, but is surrounded by shuddered businesses and homes in major disrepair, the majority of which have more than one window covered with particle board. This impacts the district’s ability to attract teachers, as there is no housing for them. Housing is limited, and the housing that is available is virtually uninhabitable ( Forbes article on government impacts on Native American poverty). White Swan has a population of fewer than 1,000 residents. Jenny had already shared this data with me, so I expected to see struggle, but I was not prepared for the reality that hit me once the town came into view ( Atlantic article on Native property rights).
If they are not at 100%, they are very close in the number of students receiving free or reduced lunch and breakfast. The student population is roughly 60% Native, 38% Hispanic, with the remaining 2% a smattering of white and other ethnicities. Jenny Tenney teaches math at White Swan High School, which is a public school. White Swan is a town on the Yakima Reservation. We wound our way through the country roads along the plateaus and hills north of Yakima. So, we met at the mall in Yakima and drove together. Even with the most detailed directions, I’d still likely get lost, especially because cell service is spotty, rendering Google maps useless. We met in Yakima, because, she explained, White Swan is difficult to find. Jenny Tenney, the ESD 105 Regional Teacher of the Year, took the day off from school to show me her school district – White Swan.