A legacy of reading and its impact on Native students
For students in the American Indian Education Program, books are more than stories, they are a pathway to understanding culture, identity, and community.
Peggy Larney, who passed away recently, founded a book club, which originally served students in grades four through six. She also launched summer camps, a program designed to immerse students in cultural learning. These programs still bring Native American students across Dallas ISD together to explore literature and strengthen connections to their heritage.
Today, the work Larney began continues under the leadership of current program coordinator Tana Takes Horse. The Book Club has expanded from prekindergarten to 12th grade, and the former summer program has evolved into yearly cultural camps, where students explore Native traditions through art, storytelling and hands-on learning.
“Even today, students still talk about their experiences at the summer camps that Miss Peggy started,” Takes Horse said. “I try to carry that spirit forward with the cultural camps we have now. Many people have been disconnected from their language and their traditions and these programs help them reconnect.”
Courtesy of Multicultural Center Records (U0735), University of North Texas Special Collections
Larney herself was a product of the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, a federal policy that encouraged many Native families from their tribal lands to urban areas. Because of this experience, she understood the importance of helping students remain connected to their cultural roots.
During her years with Dallas ISD, Larney helped develop the district’s American Indian program in the Social Studies Department, creating opportunities for students to strengthen their sense of belonging through literature.
She also played a key role in securing and maintaining the grants that support the program, helping generations of students find academic success while staying connected to their communities. Some former participants have even gone on to become educators themselves.
Students in the American Indian Education Program are registered members of, or direct descendants from federally or state-recognized tribes. Through the program, Dallas ISD supports their academic success while helping students connect to the heritage of their parents, grandparents and extended families.
The impact of Larney’s work continues to shape new generations of educators. Some former participants have even returned to Dallas ISD to serve their communities, including Arthur Ybarra, a third-grade teacher at Winnetka Elementary School and a member of the Comanche nation, and Priscilla Villanueva who is chair of the Parent Advisory Committee that oversees that program.
“Miss Peggy once reminded me that we all have to start from somewhere, and that it takes baby steps to grow a program,” Takes Horse said. “That lit a positive fire under me when I started last year. We are rebuilding the program, but I feel inspired to keep going just like she did.”
