Students at Fort Hall had the opportunity Wednesday to hear directly from John B. Herrington, who made history as the first enrolled member of a federally recognized Native American tribe to travel to space.
Herrington, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma with Idaho ties, spoke to Shoshone-Bannock youth at the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Event Center about his career and his mission aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor.
Historic Space Mission
In November 2002, Herrington launched to the International Space Station on a mission that lasted 13 days and 18 hours. During that time, he completed three spacewalks totaling approximately 20 hours of work outside the station.
“I went to the space station. I did three spacewalks and helped assemble the first truss on the left side of the space station,” Herrington told the audience Wednesday.
Herrington became a naval aviator after graduating from Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1984, then joined NASA’s Astronaut Corps in April 1996.
From Childhood Dreams to Reality
The astronaut shared that his journey began with imagination as a child. “I used to sit in a cardboard box and dream I was going to the moon,” Herrington said. “But, you know, is that going to happen? I didn’t go to the moon. I was really envious of the people that just went to the moon. But I was very fortunate I got to do something I dreamed about as a kid.”
His message resonated with the young Native American students in attendance. Thirteen-year-old Chloe Thomas said the presentation showed her what is possible. “It inspired me to know that like other natives can get that high up with their careers and do that much stuff, because I haven’t seen a lot of that,” Thomas said.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Another student, 13-year-old Taetyn Taggart, said Herrington’s visit may have influenced her own career path. “I probably will want to be an astronaut as well, to prove, like, anybody could really do anything – especially natives,” Taggart said.
Herrington encouraged the students to pursue their ambitions by seeking out mentors who have achieved what they hope to accomplish. “Believe in yourself. If there’s something you want to do, talk to somebody doing it,” he said. “If you have a desire to be an astronaut, a desire to be an attorney or an engineer. Go talk to somebody, and certainly talk to somebody that’s from where you’re from.”
What Comes Next
The visit represents part of ongoing efforts to connect Native American youth with role models who can demonstrate pathways to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Herrington’s achievement as the first tribally enrolled Native American astronaut continues to serve as an example of what tribal members can accomplish in fields where they have historically been underrepresented.
For students on the Shoshone-Bannock reservation and throughout Bannock County, Wednesday’s event provided a rare face-to-face encounter with someone who reached the highest levels of aerospace achievement while maintaining strong ties to his Native heritage.