Local Schools Celebrate Native American Week
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Jon Stiffarm and Tuffy Helgeson kickoff the Native American Week celebration to a mix of Dodson, Lodge Pole, and Harlem elementary students.
Harlem Elementary was abuzz with an impressive assortment of activities celebrating Native American Week during the last few days of September. Although the rainy weather and muddy roads forced a change of venue for both the Snake Butte activities and the Mission Canyon Pow Wow, savvy organizers already had "plan B" in place just in case, allowing both scheduled events to go off without a hitch.
On Monday, instead of venturing to Snake Butte, Dodson, Lodge Pole, and Ft. Belknap's White Clay Immersion elementary students joined Harlem's K-6th graders at the Harlem Elementary School. Although classrooms, the gym, and the cafeteria had to take the place of teepees, the wide open prairie, and Snake Butte itself, the presenters easily adapted their originally planned stations to each site.
Presentations included Nakota, Aaniih, and Little Shell speakers, Native American games, Native American artwork and artifacts, chokecherry/dry meat/pemmican, buffalo facts/history, and sweetgrass braiding. With Don Racine and Tuffy Helgeson organizing the events, and Principal Seymour quickly assigning alternate locations for each station, the rotations to and from each activity went smoothly, only breaking for a quick lunch.
The enthusiastic students learned an extraordinary amount of information, and had the best time ever joining in the activities with peers from their sister schools, Lodge Pole, Dodson, and the Immersion school. The students and staff of Harlem Elementary and our community schools are forever grateful for those individuals who took so much time and effort to ensure this Native American Week was one to be remembered.
First graders play 'Rock in the Fish' with help from Xavier Hawley and Mrs. Pronto
A special thank you to organizers, Don Racine and Tuffy Helgeson, presenters Jon Stiffarm (Cultural lesson on Native American Prayer and Pipe Ceremony), Junior Horse Capture (Native American Artwork/Artifacts), Gerald Stiffarm (Smudging-spiritual and Historical Significance), Don Racine and Tuffy Hegelson (Sweetgrass Braiding), Dennis Jorgensen (Buffalo History/Facts), Nancy Stiffarm (Nakota Speaker), Ray Gone and Barb Longknife (Aaniiih Speakers), Skip Cole (Little Shell Speaker), Lori Archambeault, Faith Gone, Melvina Snow, Andrea Quintana, Dodie Bell, Dodes Denny, Bruce Denny, and Isaiah Denny (Chokecherry/Dry meat/Pemmican), Toby Werk, Hannah Has Eagle, Ashley Kennedy, Walt Bad Road Mount, Sarah Hawley, Xavier Hawley, Amber Azure, and Micah Bullinsight (Traditional Native American Games).
Deservedly, Pendleton blankets were presented to these hard working, reliable individuals. Obviously there were others in the background doing their parts, as this undertaking was no small feat. The only way such an inspirational event such as this can take place is through the effort, organization, and diligence of those who are truly invested in our children. So again, our appreciation to those who made Native American Week such a positive and successful happening at Harlem Elementary.
