Gagiikimaawasowin (Education): Language, Undoing Racism and Youth Leadership, Youth Workshops

Since WELRP's inception (1989), we are committed to the restoration and preservation of our cultural heritage, as a means to improve the communities' collective self-esteem and promoting self-sufficiencly and knowledge. We at WELRP view land and culture issues as a whole, and continuously seek to integrate our Sustainable Communities work with education, teaching our childrent abut traditional agriculture, wild rice harvesting and processing, cultural practices and living by Mino bimatisiiwin, the "good life."

 
Past Education Program Highlights

Up until September of 2005, we had no one to coordinate our education programs at the White Earth Land Recovery Project. In September, Leah Prussia joined the WELRP staff as our Deputy Director and our Education Coordinator who took on the responsibility of overseeing and developing our education programs.

Language: Ojibwe language is a rich language, which can take years to master. First time students now have a good start towards becoming a life-time learner of our language.

2005: Ojibwe Language Immersion classes were held at the Native Harvest facility on Tuesday eveings. Ojibwe language instructor Alex Decoteau taught words that were selected to be representative of the everyday language of conversation and of narration. Eight studets attended the classes.

2004: Marked the third year we have worked with the Detroit Lakes Public Schools to have an Ojibwe language instructor, teaching Ojibwe to approximately 27 students. These students learn conversational Ojibwe, greeting words, animals, numbers and family members names. Students also practice writng and verbal pronunciations, with short oral and written quizzes given.

Retreats:

Storytelling Retreat - January 2006: Storytelling is an art that has been utilized for hundreds of years by the Anishinaabeg people as way of sharing their way of life and history with those around them. Storytelling is used as a way to continue passing the knowledge of our people’s history, cultural teachings and knowledge of such things like growing traditional foods, language preservation and leadership qualities of legendary people and historic events. In the past, children gathered to listen to grandparents, about their past adventures, as well as the adventures of their forefathers, traditions, life ways, and culture. As with much of our people’s traditional ways, storytelling is a lost art, which we hoped to bring to life once again and share this unique art of sharing culture, traditional ways and knowledge with our youth.

Maplelag was the site of our storytelling retreat, and is set on 220 acres of pristine maple stands on the reservation. The facility provides a calm and serene setting 35 miles from Detroit Lakes, and hosts a variety of services, including large conference facilities.

Once Leah compiled the number of students who would be participating, coordinated the storytellers, created the flyer and contracted the facility, it was time for the retreat. On January 20th, the White Earth Land Recovery Project hosted the first annual Aadozookan Mawanji’idiwag (Storytelling Retreat for Native Youth) was conducted at Maplelag with 265 youth to hear our oral traditions.

Since there were more students than originally planned for, we needed to conduct two sessions. Session One was from 9 a.m. to noon, hosting 230 youth ages K-6th grade with the second session hosting 35 youth ages 7th – 12th. Lunch was provided for the older youth, with a morning snack provided to the younger age groups.

"Voices" Literary Project: Our young women on White Earth, have strong opinions and views, on these issues, but don’t normally voice these opinions in school settings. As part of our education work on the White Earth Reservation, is to provide the tools for our youth to express themselves in a positive way, and throught a variety of ways, such as written/expressive.

During the fall of 2005, Leah, Winona and Audrey Thayer, met numerous times with a group of young women who were interested in sharing their thoughts and viewpoints on issues that affect today's youth. Issues such as racism, sexism and domestic violence were just some of the topics.

Young Women’s Leadership conference held March 17-19, 2006 at Maplelag Resort by Callaway.

On March 17th, participants who were involved in the “Voices” youth project finalized their writing submissions for publication The remainder of the workshop was devoted to youth workshops that focused on self-esteem, and leadership skills by providing information and experiences that coincide with the four parts of the medicine wheel: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Presenters covered such topics as mental wellness, peer counseling, and violence prevention.

Native Film Festival: Youth living on the White Earth Indian Reservation have little or no access to Anishinaabeg art education and resources to increase their artistic skills and knowledge. In addition to art education being limited in our schools, access to the arts and films is limited to children living on White Earth because of poverty and a vulnerable environment. This unique film festival took place on April 7 – 8 2006.

Presenters for the film festival included Annie Humphrey – Jimenez with her music soundtrack work on “Edge of America” and Klee Benally a youth film activist. We had approximately 200 + youth who attended the Film Fest with students from Waubun, Circle of Life, Red Lake, and Cass Lake Schools participating. Reservations represented include White Earth, Leech Lake and Red Lake.

Following Annie Humphrey’s presentation, youth viewed “Edge of America” along with a Red Lake short film being shown next. Klee Benally showed some short films about his work with youth, film and activism. The event was hosted in the Bemidji High School auditorium and was geared towards youth, but open to the public as well.

Other film sites included: Bemidji State University, Headwaters School of Music and the Arts and Cabin Coffeehouse, with attendance over the 2 day event at 225+ (not including the youth program at the school). Films shown during this two day event included: The Snowbowl Effect, Trudell, Wild Horse Spirit, Manoomin, Edge of America, Two Cars, One Night, Homeland, Alcatraz, is not an Island, and Ogichidaawag shorts.

2004 Education Highlights

Undoing Racism: Political Power and the Native Vote has nationally become more important as Native communities begin to exercise their political voice. In the 2000 election, six Native people were electede to the Montana legislature, and the Native vote carried Maria Cantwell to the Senator's seat in Washington State, unseating long-term Republican, Slade Gordon. In the 2002 mid-term election, Tim Johnson was narrowly elected in South Dakota by 500 votes, which came in the following morning from the "unorganizede" townships of the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations.

On White Earth, our situation is more complicated. We have three counties, which cross the reservation, and rarely is there county commissioner candidates or township board candidates that are Native, although in many of these townships, we are the majority population. Native voters must often travel to township hall, located outside the villages, thus creating a burden on our community, which is generally short on transportation. In 2004, we began identifying these challenges and have done some work to address them.

In 2004, we undertook several strategies. First we began registering voters in June at the White Earth annual Pow-wow, and distributed literature on Native voting. We joined statewide initiatives to get out the "Native Vote" working on the reservation as well. As part of the work in 2004, the federal court ruled that tribal identification was sufficient to register to vote in the state, an important step forward for many tribal members. We then worked to get the people out to vote. Native voter turnout on the White Earth Reservation and other reservations in the state, was deemed to be the highest ever, with over 60 percent voting. Our long-term strategy is to continue mobilizing tribal voters and to develop a Native Women's Voting Political Campaign in the state of Minnesota to increase participation of Native women in politics at a tribal and state level.

Youth Leadership Development: Young Women's Leadership Conference - In January 2004, the White Earth Land Recovery Project hosted a Young Women's Leadership Conference at Maplelag Resort, Callaway. The conference was designed to strengthen traditional knowledge among young Native women on the White Earth Reservation, while building intergenerational relationships. The convening was also intended to build political leadership skills, and critical thinking skills in young Native women, exposing them to positive Native role models who are politically active.

The two-day conference was attended by approximately 80 young Native women, ranging in ages from 12-18 from White Earth and the surrounding area. The two-day conference included workshops on traditional knowledge, beadwork, birch bark work, writing workshops and talking circles. Keynote speaker was Leslie Walking Elk from the Division of Indian Work, who provided the young women with a humorous and yet honest discussion of sexuality choices and Native womanhood.

Stories: Traditional and Contemporarty - Anne Dunn, a well-known Anishinaabe story-teller and political activist and author, joined the gathering. Anne's stories to the group ranged from traditional Anishinaabeg teachings to stories from her exposure to war torn societies like Rwanda and other countries. Anne's experience allowed for the broader ability to move these teachings from Anishinaabeg experience to the new Millennium.

Storyteller Anne Dunn (2004)

Teresa LaDuke, long-time journalist, artist and poet, spoke to the young women about writing for tribal papers and also selling her artwork in the local community. Teresa was able to share advice on staying true to yourself and your convictions in the face of hardship and adversity.

The group was also joined by Annie Humphrey, award winning musicain for a two hour concert. Her songs range from stories of interpersonal relationships to lyrical representations of the struggle of women and Native people in general against injustice. Many of her songs are politically charged and challenge the listener to become an active participant in society.

Career Choices: We had many speakers on our career choices, offering the young women much information on various career paths available to them in life. These ranged from Mayor Elaine Fleming, to Sharon Eagle Bear's discussion of college options that range from carpentery to teaching, to a career as a musician.

Youth Workshops

Pencil Art Workshops: Working in collabortion with tribal and public schools, WELRP brought some of most artistic Anishinaabe students together for an art workshop with Star Wallowing Bull, Bambi Goodwin, and Todd Bockely (Bockely's Art Gallery, Minneapolis) who worked together to expose the students to tradtional art forms of the Anishinaabeg (Woodland or Legend Art design elements), drawing techniques and use of prism color pencils.

In February 2004, the White Earth Land Recovery Project sponsored a two day Traditional Anishinaabe Art workshop for youth in the community, lead by acclaimed artist Star Wallowing Bull. The purpose of the workshop was to develop the natural talents of budding young artists, exposing them to a variety of techniques and styles that are the backbone of traditional Ojibwe art. Seven young artists, ranging in age ten to fourteen, from the Pine Point and Circle of Life Schools attended the workshop held at Maplelag Resort.

Star Wallowing Bull, an enrolled member of White Earth, traveled to speak to the students about his experiences as a Native artist, show the students his work ande assist them in sharpening their skills as artists. Minneapolis art gallery owner, Todd Bockeley assisted Star in conducting the workshop, facilitating discussions and inspiring the students with his vast knowledge of tradtional Indigenous art.

Paw Prints Project: In April 2004, the White Earth Land Recovery Project, and Ellen Griesedeck of the Wall of America Project, along with approximately twenty youth who partiipated in the "Paw Prints Project. Young artists worked in collaboration to create a portion of the wall for White Earth, featuring Native wildlife, plants, and other artwork to be included with other communties across the United States. The Wall of American Project is expected to be completed in 2006.

For more information about our Education Programs, or to request a newsletter, email us.