SKC founder an inspiration for all Montanans

Northwest Montana is mourning the loss of a visionary who left a profound impact on Native American education in the U.S. Salish Kootenai College founder Joe McDonald died Dec. 14 at St. Luke Hospital in Ronan following a brief illness. He was 92 years old.

The list of McDonald’s life and career accomplishments, as detailed in his obituary published in the Lake County Leader, is as lengthy as it is inspiring, so let’s start from the beginning.

Born and raised in the Mission Valley, McDonald graduated from St. Ignatius high school in 1951 — merely the first milestone of a long and fruitful journey in public education.