It is hard to believe the school year is half over and that spring is around the corner. I hope that the school year so far has been a positive one for your stu-dent.

This newsletter is intended for American Indian students and their families. If you believe you are receiving this newsletter in error, you should contact Stu-dent Accounting at 612.668.0029 and ask them to update your child’s infor-mation.

Please contact our office at 612.668.0610 if you need assistance with your child’s school or have questions about what support Indian Education can of-fer your student. You can also visit our webpage, http://indianed.mpls.k12.mn.us.

-Danielle Grant, Director of Indian Education

FROM THE DIRECTOR: SPRING SEMESTER BEGINS

Dream Big: American Indian Community Attendance Campaign

Did you know that by third grade the average American Indian student in MPS has missed 70 days of school? That is 3 1/2 months! In 8-12th grade Ameri-can Indian students miss 120 more school days than White students do. In a school year of 167 days, that equates to missing almost 3/4 of a year! More than an achievement gap, we have an attendance gap. Our students are missing out on valuable learning time when they are not in school. We are in the second year of a community attendance campaign which has a goal of improving Native student attendance rates at Minneapolis Public Schools. The community attendance workgroup consists of representatives from several organizations including Migizi Communications, Division of Indi-an Work, Minneapolis Indian Education Department, Hennepin County, and Little Earth. We have a name for our work, Dream Big Minneapolis: Attendance is the First Step. We have also created a website you can visit for more infor-mation, www.dreambigmpls.com. We can also be found on Facebook, www.facebook.com/DreamBigMpls.com. We believe that increased student attendance will increase student achievement. Strong attendance is neces-sary for our children to achieve their dreams and we want to work with our entire community to make this happen. For more information or to get involved, contact Elaine at Migizi Communica-tions at 612.721.6631 or elaine@migizi.org or Marie Wilson at Indian Educa-tion at 612.668.0614 or Marie.Wilson@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Inside this issue:

Attendance Campaign 1

Tribal Affiliation in MPS 3

Counselor’s Corner 4-5

Cultural Story 6

Professional Development 8

Southern Exposure 12-13

MPS

MPS INDIAN EDUCATION

NEWS JANUARY, 2014

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

The mission of MPS Indian Education is to improve Native student achievement and graduation rates through academically rigor-ous culturally responsive instruction, family and stu-dent engagement and col-laborative partnerships with schools and community.

Native Middle School Students Attend Workshop Sponsored By Ain Dah Yung Center

Page 2

MPS INDIAN EDUCATION NEWS

John Hudson, Indian Education Associate Educator Boozhoo! My name is John Hudson. I was hired and began working for Indian Education on October 21st, 2013 as an Associate Educator. In the short time I’ve been with Minneapolis Public School (MPS) District, I’ve been busy working with American Indian students and parents by assisting my co-workers Ms. Wilson and Mr. Lussier at Andersen United School with the Native student group, Mrs. Johnson at South High School with our college readiness student group, and Ms. StandingCloud and Mrs. Taylor-Coleman at Sullivan School with the Parents of Tradition through Early Childhood Education. I am also involved with planning and coordinating events for the Native student youth council Ogichidaa Oyate (Warrior Society).

Prior to coming to Minneapolis Public Schools, I worked 15 years with the State of Minnesota. For five of those years I worked as a program specialist for the Department of Children, Families and Learning De-partment of Education working with Community Action Programs, Head Start and Early Childhood Pro-grams across the state. The remaining 10 years I was a program consultant for Indian Child Welfare at the Department of Human Services. My work experience has provided me with a strong cultural under-standing of the American Indian community and its service providers, tribal government infrastructure, col-laborative networking, and racial disparities.

On a more personal note, my mother Roberta was born and spent her early years on White Earth Reser-vation with her parents John L. and Louise (Deegan) Pemberton before relocating to north Minneapolis. My grandfather John L. served on Minnesota’s first Tribal Executive Committee in the 1930s. I have two adult sons, one adult daughter, one grandson and one granddaughter. My wife is an Early Childhood Spe-cial Education teacher and has been with MPS district for 14 years. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, cooking breakfast and chili, spicy foods and drinking teas, exercise and Aikido, and learning Ojib-we and Dakota languages. Accepting the position with Indian Education has been a blessing as it has al-lowed me the opportunity to continue working within the American Indian community alongside MPS staff and families in efforts to improve American Indian educational outcomes, instill and build cultural compe-tency among teaching staff, and empower American Indian students to thrive and academically achieve their goals. On one final note, my co-workers and director here at the Davis Center have been more than welcoming since joining the team. They have provided support and guidance and I have much to learn from their education expertise. I look forward to supporting the work of Indian Education and contributing to a successful 2013-14 academic year!!!

Indian Education Welcomes New Staff

Page 2

Native students from Andersen United, Anishinabe Academy, and

Sanford Middle School took a school release day, October 17th, to

attend the 4th Annual Tobacco Prevention & Wellness Symposium at

The St. Paul Science Museum. Students enjoyed a day of hearing

traditional stories and experiencing teachings from Native leaders

throughout the Midwest. Staff from the Indian Education department

and Sanford accompanied students. They enjoyed a nice lunch and

one of our students was lucky enough to win an iPad.

Page 3

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

Tribal Affiliation in MPS

Title VII Parent Committee Openings Are you a Native parent of a student in Minneapolis Public Schools? Do you want to be more involved in the work of Indian Education in Minneapolis? Are you motivated and dedicated to your student’s success? Please consider serving as a member of the Indian Education parent committee of Minneapolis! Due to a couple of resignations, we have openings. As a committee member you will be a voice for Native parents in Minneapolis Public Schools and work with Indian Education to provide your input about priorities for Native students in the district.You will connect with other Native parents, learn about what is happening in the dis-trict and have a better understanding about what the best practices are for Native students. Contact Deanna StandingCloud at deanna.standingcloud@mpls.k12.mn.us or by phone at 612.668.0612

Minneapolis Public Schools has a population of 1,568 American Indian students, representing a diverse number of tribal nations. The following information is our students’ tribal affiliations based on our Title VII Student Eligibility Certification form (506 form). American Indian families identify themselves as Ameri-can Indian on their district application form and identify their tribal affiliation on the Federal 506 form. If you have not turned in this important 506 form please do so, all our tribal students benefit. This form can be found at http://indianed.mpls.k12.mn.us/ Tribal Affiliation of our students: Anishinaabe (Ojibwe): 953 Lakota: 223 Dakota: 91 Other Tribal Groups: 120 Other Tribal Groups Include: Dine Three Affiliated Tribes Tohono O’odham Sac & Fox Ponca Salish/Kootenai Menominee Oneida Ho’Chunk Apache Omaha Blackfeet Cheyenne Chippewa-Cree Choctaw Potawatomi Winnebago Alaska Native Assiniboine Coeur D’Alene

Anishinaabe

Lakota

Dakota

Other

Counselor’s Corner - Tami Johnson, licensed school counselor

MPS INDIAN EDUCATION NEWS

Page 4

College Trips Students from Edison (Andrew Townsend, Kendale Willie, Theresa Charette, and Jasmine Belt), Henry (Kayla Duane) and South (Zach Hen-ry) spent their day off on Oc-tober 16th touring St. Cloud State University and visiting the campus’s American Indian Student Association House.

St. Cloud State University Fast Facts

One of seven MN State universities

Admissions requirement: ACT score of 21 OR top 50% of your class (and 2 years of a world language)

Nearly 200 areas of study including American Indian Studies minor

Over 14,000 students enrolled (second largest college in MN after the U of MN Twin Cities campus)

Annual tuition/fees=$7,514 and room/board=$7,236

Division II athletics; Division I in men’s hockey

Coming up…

University of MN Morris field trip on January 17th 15% of Morris students are American Indian; the national average is 1%

MN State Moorhead and North Dakota State University on February 13-14

$eniors: How are you paying for college? You need to start with the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You can fill it out anytime after January 1st and will need your family’s 2013 tax information. We can help! Your high school’s College and Career Center (CCC) has open hours for you and your family to come in and work on the FAFSA; check with your CCC to find out dates and times. I will also provide one to one help with seniors on the FAFSA and scholarship applications. Your goal is to finish the FAFSA by March 1st; that way you’ll get the most grant money available to you.

Our goal is that 100% of our seniors complete the FAFSA. Call me (Tami Johnson) at 612.668.0617 with questions or if you need any help.

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

Page 5

Is your high school student on track to graduate? Here’s where they should be:

If your student is not on track, s/he can sign up for credit make-up options with their high school counselor. There are so many credit make-up options that no one should have to graduate late!

Call or stop in today to see your counselor and get back on track!

Grade Credits at start the year Credits at the end of Semester 1

9 0 8 - 9

10 16 - 17 24 - 25

11 32 - 34 40 - 42

12 48 - 50 56 - 58

ACT Exam...counts as MPS graduation test requirement! The ACT college entrance exam is required for students going on to a 4 year college. We recommend that all juniors and seniors students take the ACT at least once, even if they are unsure of their plans after high school. Students should take the test in the spring/summer of their junior year or in the fall of their senior year.

This year’s remaining ACT dates: April 12 register by March 7 June 14 register by May 9 Register online at www.actstudent.org, students on free/reduced lunches can get a fee waiver from their

counselor, otherwise the cost is $36.50 without writing test and $52.50 with writing test The ACT with writing (and other college or military placement exams) can be used in place of MN GRAD

testing requirements for graduation

ACT for All– Getting Our American Indian Juniors Ready

MPS is giving the ACT to all juniors on March 18, 2014

Helping students get ready to do their best on the ACT: -Naviance has PREP ME with practice ACTs free to all students -ACT prep books for students to borrow (call Tami @ 612.668.0617 to request)

-ACT prep class afterschool for South High School Indian Ed. and AVID Wednesdays from 3:15 - 5:15 PM February 5—March 12 Contact Tami or the South CCC to sign up

Page 6

MPS INDIAN EDUCATION NEWS

Winter Cultural Story from James Vukelich Ojibwe literature or stories generally fall into two different categories or genres. One is the dibaajimowin which could be

translated as news, tidings or even history. The other genre is aadizookaan which can be translated as a sacred story or

a spirit. The aadizookaan is only told during the winter when the ground is covered with snow while the dibaajimowin is

often told during the summer. The aadizokaanag tell us about the spirits of all our relatives, the animals, trees, waters,

and our ancestors. Here is an aadizookaan that I love called Gwiiwizens Gaa-maajiinigod Makwan/The Boy That Was

Carried Away By A Bear. This story was originally told in Ojibwe by Gaagige-Binesiban ‘John Binesi’ to William Jones in

1903.

There was an old man who had many children. He was constantly beating and abusing one of these children, a young

boy. After one serious beating the young boy ran away into the woods. As he was running through a balsam grove he

came very close to a bear. He yelled “Iye” and immediately forgot about his mother and father. The bear did not attack

the child. Instead, the child felt great affection and love for the bear who had taken pity on him. The bear always called

him noozis 'my grandchild' and took him around the woods to find berries and other good things to eat.

Once the bear told the child “I know where the people are hiding some food. Let's go eat it!” They approached a shallow

channel to a small island. The boy waited on the beach while the bear swam across the channel and then returned with

birch bark box filled with food. The bear and the boy ran into the woods away from the peoples camp and after a while

stopped to eat the smoked fish and tallow. When they were done they took a nap and the child was very warm.

Soon it was winter and the bear said to the boy “Let us find a place to stay.” The bear found a spot in a small grove of

cedars where no humans walked by. The bear and the boy began to sleep all winter long. Sometimes the boy would be

asked “My grandson, are you hungry?” and the bear would feed him dried fish and the other food they ate during the

summer. Sometimes the bear would tell the boy “Even though I take pity on the people, yet I do not always give them

my body. I would do too much harm to you if I should be killed.”

Now it was spring and the bear took his grandchild to the river he always fished at. The bear always knew where the

Anishinaabeg 'the humans' were and always avoided them. The bear also avoided their traps. He caught many fish and

was able to magically cook them for the child who couldn't eat the fish raw. The child was always warm when he slept

with the bear.

Soon he was told “My grandchild, now I will take you home. Your parents are too sad. Let's go to their camp.” They ar-

rived at a lake where the boy's family was camped. As the boy began to walk to the camp the bear told him “My grand-

child, if at any time you are in need of food call me. I will feed you.” The boy soon arrived at camp but the people barely

recognized him. He was still wearing the same clothes but no one asked him any questions. They were scared of him

and never beat him again.

Once the child's mother heard her son say “My grandfather, I wish to eat! Please feed me!” In a few moments everyone

saw a bear swim towards the child. The boy got in a canoe and paddled towards the bear. Then the child lightly tapped

the bear on the head with a stick and the bear died. The boy who was Wedaapinangiban's 'He who picks it up' child

could always do this.

And that is the end of the story of the Bear.

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

Page 7

Native American Family Involvement Day 2013

MPS Indian Education wants to extend heartfelt gratitude for all the schools district-wide who took the initiative to honor and recognize the Native American culture and the importance of Native parents in-volved with their child’s educational experience in MPS. This year, over 30 schools participated in NAFID in various ways. Just to highlight a couple NAFID school events, Sanford Middle School launched the 1st Annual Indigenous Film Festival and featured a variety of Native short films, hosted by local filmmaker Missy Whiteman of Independent Indigenous Film & Media. Whittier Elementary held an assembly for families featuring Dakota Teacher Jim Rock as he shared a presentation about Dakota wisdom. At Henry High, Police Chief Harteau, of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe presented to students and families about her success as an Ojibwe woman and now police chief to inspire Native students in future endeavors. It is important for Native students in MPS to feel their culture is valued in order for them to be successful

in school. Native American Family Involvement Day is an opportunity to share and celebrate Native cul-

ture and the importance of families and community being involved in student achievement. Again, thank

you to everyone who participated this year in making NAFID 2013 the best year yet. Miigwech! Pidam-

iyaye!

NAFID at Seward Montessori: Student Leadership

Native American Family Involvement Day

on November 22, 2013 at Seward Montes-

sori included a variety of activities. Stu-

dents Jenika Howard, Malina Longcrow,

Viviana Hernandez, and Leticia Leon pre-

sented to a variety of classrooms at their

school. The students shared jingle dress

dancing, Indian names, and the importance

of eagle feathers to Native culture with their

school community. Dion White and Dionna

Maloney did research on Ojibwe birch bark

scrolls and Lakota winter counts and pre-

sented to their art class. In addition, the

girls presented to families and fellow Native

students during a luncheon specifically for

Native students and families at Seward. A

wild rice demonstration lesson was also presented by Indian Education staff. The Native students

at Seward modeled exactly the kind of leadership skills we love to see and hear about at MPS Indi-

an Education. Please share your stories about our Native students and their successes. If you

know of a Native student doing outstanding work, let us know so we can feature them in a future

MPS Indian Education News.

Indian Education staff held a professional development (PD) session for teachers on December 7, 2013. As the first-of two PD sessions focusing on the integration of Native culture and language into mainstream curriculum, these learning opportunities are a component of the Memorandum of Agree-ment (MOA) between Minneapolis Public Schools and the American Indian community.

We awoke to unseasonably cold temperatures and workshop organizers were concerned about turn-out. Not only had we asked teachers to give up their Saturday, but now it was cold and dark to boot. The odds definitely weren’t in our favor! Despite our worries, we had a full house which proves the commitment teachers have to best serving Native American students.

We began the session with smudging and a team-building activity. Shortly thereafter we split the group into grade specific teams in order to differentiate learning. The primary group learned how to incorpo-rate a jingle dress into a mathematics counting and patterning lesson. As well, they brainstormed ways to integrate the 7 Grandfather Teachings of Love, Honesty, Humility, Wisdom, Respect, Bravery and Truth into Morning Meeting and classroom routines. The 3rd through 5th grade learned about Indige-nous musicians and how to use this music to teach writing, develop persuasive arguments through song lyrics, and entered into a discussion of how to use music and writing as a strategy to solve to-day’s contemporary American Indian young people’s struggles.

The 6th through high school team focused on animal tracking. Since winter provides an easily accessi-ble palette for watching animals, the lesson was based on a winter ‘whodunnit’ where teachers had to determine the plot and storyline for a tracking map. The team discussed ways of integrating tracking into mainstream curricula – through taxidermy, food webs, microeconomics of the fur trade, and butch-ering weight – as a means of creating an interdisciplinary unit for students.

The second MOA PD is set to occur on March 1, 2014. We are excited to have another opportunity to work with teachers from our best practice sites!

Page 8

MPS INDIAN EDUCATION NEWS

Indian Education Professional Development By Odia Wood-Krueger & Ida Downwind-BaldEagle

Boozhoo! Aaniin! Haŋ Mitaukuyapi! MPS Indian Education Department is working with the Office of Family and Community Engagement to offer a Connecting Parents to Educational Opportunities session at Ban-croft Elementary beginning in April 2014. This CPEO session is specifically for Native parents to provide them with information on how to partner with your student’s teachers, help develop a home environment for educational achievement, learn about how to calculate GPA, connect with other parents in your area, and help empower your student to be successful in high school and enroll in college. This session is open to Native parents with students in the following schools: Andersen Anishinabe Bancroft Dowling Folwell Hiawatha Northrup Wenonah Keewaydin Pratt Sanford Seward Sullivan The classes are on Thursday evenings starting April 17th 2014 at Bancroft Elementary 1315 E. 38th Street.

To register, please contact Deanna StandingCloud at 612.668.0612 or via email at dean-

na.standingcloud@mpls.k12.mn.us

CPEO Classes for Native Parents in Area B

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

Page 9

A critical initiative of Indian Education is gaining insight into the Minnesota State K-12 Standards and how they align with American Indian curriculum and instruction including culture, history, literature, and tradi-tions, My focus, like teachers and parents, is to share understandings of “issues of indigenous nations” with students so they learn the strengths of our people. In support of this work I attended South High School All Nation’s smudge ceremony and their workshop with Dr. BrokenLeg about the “trauma” we have gone through as a people and learned about various ef-forts to get our people healthier. Other workshops I have attended this year were with Ojibwe spiritual lead-er, Obizaan, Lee Staples sharing Anishinabe ceremonies from birth to death; Maria Brave Heart on Lakota ceremonies and her sacred path; Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) its purpose and the legal history of Indi-ans, 101. I also attended the Minnesota Indian Education Association (MIEA) conference that promotes quality education, culture and unity for American Indians and a statewide financial aid conference to sup-port students and parents’ college plans, learning about Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). My colleague Tami Johnson organized a field trip for American Indian high school students to visit St. Cloud State University. We toured the campus, the American Indian Student House, and shared a meal with Native college students while hearing from both University staff and students. In the office I have focused with colleagues on the development of a middle school history trunk, and high school kinship/relations trunk. Since August I have read a small mountain of books, papers, stories, and publications from Indian Education archives; researching ideas that will be additions to the trunks and ideas and activities for weekly groups at Andersen United School, Bancroft Elementary, Sanford Middle School and future visits to other schools. Native American middle school students’ weekly group agendas at Andersen United begin with smudging followed by topics students have requested including: Native history, Ojibwe and Dakota language, bead-ing, art, ceremonies, Native leaders instructional activities. We often have community speakers to come to the group from Division of Indian Work, Circle of Nations, and Women of Nations. In addition, students in-form their parents of community gatherings and activities through community flyers that invite parents and families to events like language table, powwows, and educational experiences. Middle school students prepared and supported Native American Family Involvement Day (NAFID), and had the chance to attend a symposium at the Science Museum. At Andersen United, Marie Wilson and I have provided American Indian perspective to elementary teachers and their classrooms in presentations about wild ricing, powwows, regalia, and storytelling. There is a great deal of work ahead of us as parents and educators; let’s work together! All my relations, Gary Lussier

My Work in Indian Education: Gary Lussier, District Program Facilitator

Indian Education Staff List 2013-14

Danielle Grant (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe), Director, Danielle.Grant@mpls.k12.mn.us 612.668.0610

Elaine Kopischke-Trejo, Office Specialist, Elaine.Kopischke-Trejo@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0616

Ida Downwind-BaldEagle (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), District Program Facilitator, Ida.Downwind@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0613

Marie Wilson (Menominee Nation), District Program Facilitator, Ma-rie.Wilson@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0614

Odia Wood-Krueger (Metis), District Program Facilitator, Odia.Wood-Krueger@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0618

Gary Lussier (Red Lake Nation), District Program Facilitator, Gary.Lussier@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0606

Tami Johnson (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), Counselor on Special Assignment, Tami.Johnson@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0617

Deanna StandingCloud (Red Lake Nation), Associate Educator-Parent Engagement Coordi-nator, Deanna.Standingcloud@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0612

John Hudson (White Earth Band of Ojibwe), Associate Educator, John.Hudson@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.668.0108

James Vukelich (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe), School Success Program Assistant (Indigenous Language), James.Vukelich@mpls.k12.mn.us

Jean Taylor-Coleman, School Success Program Assistant (Early Childhood), Jean.Taylor-Coleman@mpls.k12.mn.us, 612.290.9936

MPS INDIAN EDUCATION NEWS

Page 10

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

Page 11

Roosevelt Native Student Wins Debate Award

A member of Roosevelt’s debate team, Christopher Oquist went to Dallas, Texas to participate in national student debates about economics at George W. Bush Institute's Economic De-bates. This event features students from some of the most high performing schools in the country. Chris was coached by Roo-sevelt High School debate teachers Adam Farrell and Ahmed Amin. We are proud that Chris finished as a quarterfinalist! In addition to his debate exploits, Chris is one of two student rep-resentatives on the Title VII American Indian Parent Commit-tee. Congratulations Chris!

Chris Oquist with statues of presidents George W. and

George H.W. Bush

Last year, Indian Education developed a language gathering at Anishinabe Academy open to students, fam-ilies, and community members to reconnect with our Native teachings. We have been fortunate to work with Ojibwe scholar and linguist James Vukelich, who generously contributes his knowledge of language and culture. Dakota star visionary and teacher Jim Rock also shares his vast knowledge of Dakota teachings, stories, and language. In this unique gathering, participants are able to collect wisdom from both the Ojibwe and Dakota nations. Participants learn the philosophies of Ojibwe and Dakota tribes are very similar, which is an incredible experience. Learning our Native languages is not only vital to the survival of our tribal nations, but research has indicat-ed higher academic success of students when learning a second language. Studies have also shown that when students have been immersed in the Ojibwe or Dakota language their cognitive function is boosted, thus, increasing their opportunity for academic success. Participating in this language table is one of the ways you can support your students. It would be an honor to see you at the Anishinabe Academy Family Language Table. This event is open to the community and children are welcome. Language tables are held at Anishinabe Academy, 3100 East 28th Street, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on most Thursdays. In the next two months, the table will be held on February 6, 13, and 27 and March 6, 13, and 27. If you have any questions about the language table, con-tact James Vukelich at james.vukelich@mpls.k12.mn.us or Deanna StandingCloud at 612.668.0612

Anishinabe Academy Family Language Table Welcomes You

Page 12

MPS INDIAN EDUCATION NEWS

Southern Exposure by Odia Wood-Krueger

I am Métis. In Canada, my mixed Native/European heritage is recognized by the federal government along with First Nations and Inuit peoples. I represent the coming together of two cultures and my blood memory bears wit-ness to the beginning of a new age for Turtle Island’s indigenous populations. Our flag is comprised of a white infinity symbol on a blue or red background and I liken myself to the point at the center where the lines intersect. I represent two worlds and, whether I like it or not, have a foot in each. I wasn’t raised in a traditionally Native way. I grew up in the city and spent summers on my grandmother’s farm in northern Saskatchewan. There’s no real gentle way to put it; I’m a ‘city Indian.’ As a result, personal growth often blends into my professional life as I learn to become a better relative. Part of becoming a good relative means keeping an open mind to others’ views and learning from their stories. I love attending the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) convention because I never know what I will learn. It consists of educators from around Turtle Island (and sometimes further). I was invited to New Zealand by a con-ference presenter whom I met at NIEA in 2012. Dr. Ihirangi Heke’s presentation regarding a traditional physical education program for indigenous youth based on Māori environmental deities called atua was ground-breaking. I handed over my business card and believed I would never hear from him again. Despite my doubt, weeks later my office phone rang with an invitation to be hosted in Aotearoa. I immediately said yes and over the following months submitted a proposal to speak on cultural connections for urban youth as a means of legitimizing the trip. As an employee of MPS’s Indian Education department, my job is to support teachers and students by finding au-thentic ways to infuse language and culture into mandated curriculum. I hoped my travel to New Zealand would widen my perspective on how we could better support students’ development of cultural identity. What I hadn’t expected was to learn about myself. Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” As humans we attempt to rationalize every action we take yet sometimes need to simply trust in the Creator (or whomever we rec-ognize as looking over us) and make a move in whatever form that ‘step’ may appear. My step took me halfway around the world. One of the challenges of traveling abroad is the realization that you go representing your people…all your people, so you’d best not screw it up. No pressure, indeed. Nonetheless, what I learned when I got to New Zealand is there are commonalities between North American indigenous worldviews and how Māoris see the world - we both tease to show affection, laughter is everywhere, and once you are trusted there is nothing you can’t ask for. Yet underneath the surface level, those commonalities continued. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity through a shared worldview. The Anishinaabe have mishibizhiw, the underwater panther, while the Māori have underwater dragons. We have the sweat lodge, a symbolic journey back into the womb to cleanse and purify; the Māori have the marae. Nanaboozhoo is one of many tricksters, forever causing problems and creating funny stories whereas the Māori have Māui. I was learning that my Indian identity need not be attached to blood quantum. By having deep discussions about the intricacies of Māori cosmology, I was identifying and recognizing similar pieces within myself. When I asked Ihi why he wanted to bring us to Aotearoa, he said that he and his colleagues wanted to host people who were interested. They agreed to hold no expectations for a reciprocal exchange and give freely without ques-tion. When I explained how honored I felt and how I didn’t have the words to describe my appreciation he replied, “What you received was a reflection of who you are. What you gave us is what you received.” On some level I felt ashamed because this man saw something within me that I fail to see within myself. I was shown love, apprecia-tion, and kindness by strangers and was invited into something much bigger than I had ever dreamed. I know very little Ojibwemowin, but already have a favorite word - ayaangwaamizin. Translated literally, it means ‘to go carefully.’ Beyond this simple meaning is the idea that individual actions influence the world at large. This term requires us to examine not only the meaningfulness of our actions, but our very existence. We are not lone ships in the night; we are an integral thread in the fabric of this universe.

Page 13

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

On the thirty-four hour journey back to Minneapolis I had plenty of time to consider how I could create meaningful opportunities for growth for Native American students in our schools. While I still don’t have all the answers, I do know that it will take moving forward, one step at a time. In the meantime, I ask that we all consider how our actions can make this world a better place for all.

1250 West Broadway Ave

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55411

Phone: 612 668-0610

Fax: 612 668-0615

E-mail: IndianEd@mpls.k12.mn.us

M P S I N D I A N E D U C A T I O N

We also develop culturally

relevant and engaging curric-

ulum and materials for use in

schools.

Support for Family In-

volvement: Indian Educa-

tion provides resources and

support for Native American

Family Involvement Day in

November, but also for oth-

er opportunities throughout

the year, like Connecting

Parents to Educational Op-

portunities, parent trainings

and parent circles.

College Readiness: Our

Counselor on Special Assign-

ment works with groups of

Native students to teach

them college planning steps

and facilitates college visits.

Advocacy for Families: If

a Native student is having a

Indian Education provides

many services for Native stu-

dents and families within MPS.

Just a few of the different roles

we play are:

Resources: Indian Education

provides resources, like school

supplies, and student activity

fees to Native students in Min-

neapolis public Schools. Funds

are extremely limited.

Support for Instruction:

Indian Education works with

teachers and schools to help

them become more familiar

with the best ways for Native

students to learn. We do this

through professional develop-

ment opportunities for teach-

ers, but also through one-on

one relationships. Our teach-

ers on special assignment

work with several school

teams.

problem at their school, their

parents can contact Indian

Education and we will work

with you to get your issue

resolved.

Support for the Memoran-

dum of Agreement: Indian

Education works with the

School Board, school district

administration and the Native

community to implement the

ideas of the MOA. Together

we are working to make the

district a better place for Na-

tive students to learn and

achieve.

Financial Support for Pro-

grams: Indian Education

provides financial support for

the school programs at An-

ishinabe Academy and South

High School All Nations.

WHAT DOES INDIAN EDUCATION DO?

http://indianed.mpls.k12.mn.us/