Native 101

I was really, and I mean REALLY looking forward to this presentation. I’d been invited by my aunt Vicki Pinkham to present at Pinehurst K-8 for their Native American Heritage Month Assembly. Their family comes to Clear Sky meetings every Tuesday, and they’re very supportive of their children, and their daughter attends Pinehurst. Scott and Vicki are Professors at the University of Washington and do a lot of outreach for our Native students in the sciences. I found this to be a special opportunity to try and reach the younger, non-native kids who are at the perfect age to soak up new knowledge. I am deeply aware of the struggles of our Native students who encounter micro-aggressions from their peers at school (sometimes not so micro), which in my experience, more often than not stems from ignorance and…sometimes a lack of respect. As these children were still very young, I was intensely determined on making a presentation that they could both learn from, and feel comfortable asking questions all in a respectful, appropriate way. They’re children, and any child can learn anything at a young age.

I began with the basics. I figure they can learn the in-depth political stuff when they get older. For now, I just wanted to give them the context; a simple but diverse, picture of Indian Country. After introducing myself, I knew their first questions would probably be around my regalia, so I taught them the word, “regalia,” and had them repeat it. I figured many of these kids had been to Powwows or at least heard of them and making sure they didn’t say “costume” is definitely a box to check off. I then launched into the presentation using “Did you know…?” questions. I always found these to be engaging when I was little, and I hoped to use it again with presenting some basic 101 about Native Americans in today’s world. I had to draw from a book I had read from one of my courses, “Native Roots,” which essentially documents the long history of how modern day technologies can trace their origins to Native and indigenous cultural practices. From the Constitution to Popcorn, from medicine to sports, Native teachings have been incorporated and used to propel society into the future. As I spoke, I found myself standing a little taller, speaking a little louder and I could feel a happy warmth spread from my crown, all the way to my moccasin-clad toes. It was a beautiful feeling that would persist for days afterward. 

I reflected on a life changing experience I had in the 2nd grade. One of my classmates said to me, “All you believe in are your stupid Indian legends!” Her words taught me to question what other people think of when they hear the word, “Indian.” It made me ponder how our youth and children are educated and whether or not there’s a way for we as Native people to feel validated, and comfortable in our own skin. But as we did Q&A, I found there were children as young as 7 years old who wanted to know about the Native Tribes in California, who were interested in the Canoe Journey here in Seattle, who wanted to know what kind of math the Aztecs did, who wanted to know more. It was also healing for me, not just to share my culture, or historical knowledge, but to hear their positive response to it and their sincere desire to learn more. It gives me hope for the next generation. 

There is legislation in Congress by the National Indian Education Association that seeks to improve Native education. Support the Native CLASS Act and find out how we can benefit our kids to live more educated lives!