When Roger Aitken of Walker died in February at age 74, the voice of one of the region’s most ardent advocates of American Indian education was quiet, but hardly silenced.<\/p>\n
Those whose lives he touched say they carry his passion with them.<\/p>\n
Aitken, who graduated from Bemidji State in 1973 with a double major in business management and sociology, served 20 years as a member of the BSU Alumni Board of Directors and the BSU Foundation board and participated in two presidential searches. He was named an Outstanding Alumni in 2003.<\/p>\n
Dr. Anton Treuer, professor of Ojibwe, remembers how Aitken challenged administrators to construct the American Indian Resource Center, which opened in 2003.<\/p>\n
“He was a great, charismatic, charming man who could run a meeting very efficiently and had a gift of pulling people together,” Treuer said. “I think his vision and ability to convince people of that vision was pretty impactful.”<\/p>\n
This spring, in recognition of Aitken’s commitment and service, BSU renamed its annual American Indian student leadership award in his honor.<\/p>\n
Aitken, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War, made an impact beyond Bemidji. He worked for the Indian Education Section of the Minnesota Department of Education; played a key role in the development of Leech Lake Tribal College; and served as chairman of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Minnesota Agency and the first executive director of the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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