Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe Distributes Nearly 180 Backpacks at Back to School Night

The Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe’s Community Learning Center (CLC) distributed nearly 180 backpacks during its annual Back to School Night on Saturday at the Tribal Gym in Stillwater, and organizers expect to reach 200 by the end of the week. Despite being held on a weekend evening for the first time, the event was well attended.

Organizers handed out 165 backpacks during the event, with 14 more picked up by Monday morning. Austin Little, CLC specialist III, said the program anticipated meeting its distribution goal by week’s end.

The Fallon Tribal Health Clinic hosted information booths for several departments and offered student vaccinations at the event for the first time. The clinic provided vaccinations on site because of a delay in receiving vaccines and to make the process more convenient for students and families. Behavioral Health, the Benefits Department, CareSource, the Churchill County Coalition, the Churchill County Transportation Department, and the Fallon Tribal Environmental and Police Departments also participated.

The event was supported by donations from Chairwoman Cathi Williams‑Tuni, the Johnson‑O’Malley Program, and FPST staff and departments, including Jill Wright of Communications, Krystal Williams of Tribal Housing, Leslie Steve of Behavioral Health, Jon Pishion of the Tribal Health Clinic, and Illena Henry of Environmental.

According to Little, the Community Learning Center also offers an after‑school program for Native American students from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The program is open to all community members and focuses on cultural learning, teaching, and fun. The Native Title VI student tutoring program, held at both the middle school and high school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, has contributed to an almost 100 percent graduation rate.

The Community Learning Center has also been asked to consult and assist with a Native History elective class at the high school as part of a pilot program. The long‑term goal is to help provide Native culture and history education in every school. The Community Learning Center is located at 8955 Mission Road and can be reached at 775‑423‑8065.