Students in the Athena-Weston School District enjoyed the sounds of Native drumming and the sights of colorful, traditional dancers from Nixyaawii Community School at the Tribal Dance Showcase on Friday, November 15th. The district-wide event is an annual tradition held at Weston-McEwen High School.
Morgan Rauch, Principal at WMHS, said the showcase is one of her favorite events of the school year that offers an opportunity for Native students in the district to share some of their cultural traditions with fellow students.
The event coordinates with November’s Native American Heritage Month. Wynema Thurman is the Indian Education Coordinator for Athena-Weston School District. She helped organized the Indigenous Heritage Week for three school districts in the region. There were dress-up days including: Monday rock your moccasins and wear orange, Tuesday bust out your beadwork, Wednesday wear your braids, Thursday wear your Ribbons Shirts and or Ribbon Skirts, Friday wear your Native Print, like t-shirts and basketball clothes.
Thurman said, “I believe that it is extremely important that these activities happen within our school districts because our tribal students need to be proud of who they are. I also believe that non-tribal staff and students should be educated on Native American history.”
WMHS has its own Native student organization called the Atina Club, which helped coordinate the Tribal Dance Showcase. Manaia Wolf, club President, said there were multiple dances presented, including jingle, fancy, social and mens' and womens' dances. Wolf said it's good "to make it known that we are modern, but we still practice our treaty rights and traditional practices of hunting, fishing and more." She said she has good memories of participating in the district dance event since kindergarten, walking from the elementary school in her regalia and seeing her friends, which was cool.
Athena-Weston School District thanks Wynema Thurman, the Nixyaawii drummers and dancers and the Atina Club for organizing the dance showcase