On March 14, 2009 the NAHPC had a ceremony at the Steele Indian School Park in the Historic Memorial Hall to honor Jean chaudhuri. She was the founder of the Phoenix Indian School Preservation Coalition in the late '80s. The Phoenix Indian school was to be sold to the Collier corp. in exhanged for swamp land in florida. She opposed the land transfer between the City of Phoenix and the Collier Corp. The plan for the site was business complex and 20 acres to the City for a park. She fought to preserve it for the Native community. In 1993, she and Mayor Paul Johnson's administration united and saved the Park and dedicated it to the Native community.
Sadly she passed in 1997, never seeing the fruits of her labor. Our ceremony was to honor her role in this historic feat. In the late '80s, the NAHPC presented to the City our plan for the future of the site. Our Five Year Development Plan consisted of 10 points. Several of these have been completed. We invited those Native Organzations that have future development plans for the Park. The American Indian Veterans Memorial Assoc. will be erecting a Monument dedicated to the Native Veterans of all conflicts. The Arizona Indian Tourism Agency will be building a cultural center. Thses plans have been part of our 10 point plan.
We will continue to advocate for Native American input for future developments as stated in the Phoenix Master Plan which states the goal of "work with Native American organizations to provide educational and interpretive opportunities".
We are also seeking to have a Memorial raised in her honor on the Steele Park site. It is only fitting that her name be added to the Park. This act would confer proper due to Jean. We need something more concrete and more impressive to express the proper worth of the honor and dignity embodied in this exceptional person. She carried our standard and championed our cuase.
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