Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

November 4, 2000 - Issue 22

School News
gathered by Vicki Lockard

The information here will include items of interest for and about Native American schools. If you have news to share, please let us know! I can be reached by emailing: Vlockard@aol.com It's Homecoming for Indian Students, too, at U Nobody who has talked with Jackie Blackbird remembers American Indian students taking part -- as Indian students -- in a homecoming parade at the University of Minnesota. The American Indian Student Association float will feature drummers, dancers in traditional tribal costumes and precious star quilts that have been given as honors to these Indian students by friends, family members and elders. Blackbird, 22, is a senior in the Carlson School of Management. She grew up on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in northern Montana. She's Gros Ventre on her mother's side, Assiniboine on her father's side. "Ever since I was a freshman, I've watched the parade," she said. "We never see any American Indian representation, and I always thought to myself, 'We should have a float." She had helped organize the student association's annual powwow every year. "That was my contribution. But then I ran for our association board this year, and I suggested the homecoming idea. They thought it was a great idea. "The theme is what really caught me: 'A quest for time.' The parade coordinators explained that it could either be the past or into the future, and I thought that would be an awesome tie-in for American Indian students." Indian Township Pupils Celebrate Culture INDIAN TOWNSHIP, MAINE — The rich heritage as well as the language of the Passamaquoddy Tribe were the focus of a daylong celebration Friday as the very young to teen-agers proudly presented native songs and dance to an audience at the Indian Township Elementary School. The young people were celebrating National Indian Day, known in Passamaquoddy as the Motahkmiqewi Skulhawossol. “This is a day to celebrate our rich heritage and culture. Today’s celebration in particular is done by our students, so we adults here are seeing our culture through the eyes of the students, which is probably the most wonderful celebration of all,” said Wayne Newell, director of bilingual and bicultural education programs at the school. Youngsters wore powder-blue T-shirts that bore the slogan “Coming together in a good way” as they performed before visiting pupils from Danforth, Baileyville and Pleasant Point elementary schools. “We invited them to share the day with us, because this goes beyond our own celebration. It is the celebration of Washington County and all of eastern Maine, of the rich heritage of the native people who reside in this area,” Newell said. UI, Northwest Tribes Agree on Closer Ties Spokane _ University of Idaho officials and Northwest Indian leaders will sign an agreement this week, with such goals as strengthening the school's services to tribes and increasing the number of Indian students. The signing will take place as part of a Native American Conference on the Moscow campus. It is the culmination of nearly two years of consultation between the UI and the tribes, said Hal Godwin, vice president for Student Affairs. The signatory tribes are the Nez Perce, Spokane, Yakama, Kootenai, Shoshone-Paiute, Coeur d'Alene, Shoshone-Bannock, Umatilla, Colville and Kalispel.

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