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Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 7:55 AM

Fallon Native Named Director of Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum

“The Stewart museum plays a key role in that mission,” said DNAA Executive Director Stacey Montooth...
Fallon Native Named Director of Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum
Mural: "After Boarding School: In Mourning" by Ka'ila Farrell-Smith inside the SISCCM.

Author: Photo courtesy of DNAA.

 

Dr. Joshua Bonde, a Churchill County High School graduate and citizen of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone, has been appointed director of the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum in Carson City. Raised in Fallon, Bonde brings both deep local roots and more than 15 years of experience in Nevada museums and nonprofit leadership to his new role. 

“The Stewart Indian Boarding School has had an impact on every single Indigenous family in the Great Basin,” Bonde said. “It is a big responsibility to caretake the story of this campus, honor the past and reclaim these 110 acres and 64 historic structures into a community space, but I am ready for the challenge.” 

The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum is a division of the Nevada Department of Native American Affairs (DNAA), which became a stand-alone state agency in July 2024. DNAA is charged with improving the quality of life for Nevada’s 28 Tribal governments, Colonies, and Bands, as well as for more than 62,000 urban Indians across the state. The department works to strengthen relationships between Tribal Nations and state and local governments, with a focus on advancing education, health, employment, and Tribal sovereignty. 

“The Stewart Museum plays a key role in that mission,” said DNAA Executive Director Stacey Montooth. “It provides a powerful platform for outreach and education about the first people of this land, using exhibits, oral histories, and multimedia tools to preserve the history of Indian boarding schools in America.” 

Montooth praised Bonde’s qualifications, adding, “Dr. Bonde’s convivial personality, his curiosity, and his previous professional credentials blends perfectly with his Native American experience. He is already a trusted voice in our Tribal communities, so he will be a strong leader as a conduit between our Tribal Nations and Nevada’s executive government.” 

Bonde’s résumé includes faculty work at UNLV, leadership at the Nevada State Museum and Las Vegas Natural History Museum, and co-founding the Nevada Science Center. He holds degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno, Montana State University, and earned his Ph.D. in geoscience from UNLV. 

Alongside his wife, Becky Hall, Bonde co-named Nevada’s first dinosaur species, Nevadadromeus schmitti, discovered in Valley of Fire State Park. 

The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum is located at 1 Jacobsen Way in Carson City and is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission and the self-guided campus walking tour are free. More information is available at www.stewartindianschool.com

 

 

 


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Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I knew Sam as a member of our church growing up. He always had a warm smile, a kind word, and a great sense of humor! He will be great missed!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:57 AMComment source: Obituary -- Samuel Bruce WickizerComment author: Mike HinzComment text: Great teacher, great coach, but even a better person!!! Rest in peace Mr. BeachComment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:53 AMComment source: Obituary -- Jack Victor Beach, Jr.Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I had Mrs Hedges for First Grade at Northside Elementary in 1969. I still, to this day, remember her as a wonderful teacher…one of my favorites!!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:29 AMComment source: Obituary - Nancy Marie Hedges C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: What are MFNs and PBMs ?? ............................ From the editor: This is a very good question and we apologize for not catching that wasn't in there. We reached out to the writer/submitter and got this info back...hope it's helpful. PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Managers are pharmacies that are owned by insurance companies. (CVS is one.) They negotiate with drug makers to get reduced pricing for medications, but they historically have not passed along those savings to patients. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf MFN: Most Favored Nation pricing is a policy that means a country agrees to offer the same trade concessions (like tariffs or price reductions) to all member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). When applied to pharmaceuticals, it could disrupt global access, deter innovation, and obscure the deeper systemic issues in American health care. https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/05/22/the-global-risks-of-americas-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy/Comment publication date: 6/23/25, 7:47 AMComment source: L E T T E R TO THE EDITOR
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