School announcements have sounded a bit different over the past month in Flandreau.
For the first time ever, local students and Native leaders have taken the opportunity through Native American Heritage Month to offer the entire school, K-12, an Indigenous Word and Indigenous Person of the Day, both historically and currently.
At the start of each day, our students were able to connect with words from their people and hear stories of those that have represented their people in a positive light, said Elaine Stephens, Title VI Director for the Flandreau Public School District.
Our students could draw strength, wisdom and even courage and resiliency from knowing how others from their worlds have impacted history. They were given an opportunity, in school, to identify with and feel proud of the accomplishments of someone from their world. We brought forth the stories of Native Business Owners, Astronauts, Dancers, Authors-Storytellers, Language Keepers, Museum Curators, Lawyers, Teachers, Athletes, Leaders, Doctors, Nurses, Activists, Warriors and even a Chef to show our students what they can accomplish with hard work and determination.
And it hasnt stopped yet. The initiative has actually been so well received that the Word of the Day, if not other information, will continue to be shared as a part of morning announcements until Christmas break.
Apetu Wat by the way, if youre learning as well, means good day in Dakota.
The effort was organized by the student-led Native Tea Opaye (formed in Sept 2023).
The group worked with Native families in the community to help with their languages.
The Indigenous Words and People of the Day have included Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, Ojibwe, Gros Ventre, Sak & Fox, Ho-Chunk, Laguna Pueblo, Osage, Chickasaw, and Navajo backgrounds.
A schedule of rotating speakers has done the announcements each day. Some were students, others were family or community members to help accurately represent the languages.
There are currently 25 Native Tribes represented through Title VI enrollment which requires the child, parent or grandparent to be enrolled with a Federally Recognized Tribe. The percentage of Native students in the Flandreau Public Schools is around 36%.
Organizers of the project say that they hope that even in some small way it gives pause, especially to local educators, to learn more about Native people and history.
Long before we had pieces of paper that said youre educated and know what youre doing, we had our own doctors, our own hydrologists, we had our own heroes and our own people that arent in the books here that they dont talk about, or they dont recognize or teach about. Even if the announcements weve made are two or three paragraphs, hopefully theyve been beneficial to the non-Native staff especially, to further educate themselves on the people that we talked about, including the lineage of the people that introduced themselves, of the Chiefs that they came from, said Jon Schrader, Jr, one of the local tribal leaders who both helped give announcements at the school and organize the month-long effort.
Speakers included: Juliauna Anderson (11th), Diamond Roy (11th), Syri Blubaugh (12th), Talon Hardy (12th), Brett Poitra (12th), Fawn Frias (9th), Taliah Nickey (5th), Willow Stephens (5th), Kelly Pitsenberger, Jennifer Sundermeyer, Jon Schrader Sr, David Ross, Zach Zephier, Tim Hardy, Jerrick Charles, Heidi Ode (3rd Grade), Elaine Stephens, Everall Fox, Sarah Bad Warrior Vrooman and Elementary Principal Justin Kelm.
In addition to the Indigenous Word and Person of the Day, the Tea Opaye Officers wanted to join in the Worldwide Social Media Event recognized as Rock Your Mocs. Originally, November 15th was Rock Your Mocs Day started in 2011 as a virtual, positive opportunity to celebrate tribal individuality by wearing moccasins.
It was extended to a week (November 12th-18th) to create more event opportunities for people, schools and organizations. The Tea Opaye Officers created their Dress Up Days (November 13th-17th) that included Orange Shirt Day Every Child Matters Day; Rock Your Ribbon Skirt or Shirt Day; Rock Your Braids Day; Rock Your Beads Day; and Red Shirt Day to shed light on Missing & Murdered Indigenous Person Awareness Day.
Tea Opaye Officers include: Juliauna Anderson (President), Diamond Roy (Vice President), Syri Blubaugh (Secretary), Tate Allen (Student Rep), and Fawn Frias (Student Rep). The President and Vice President are also the Student Representatives for the Flandreau Indian Education (Parent) Committee (FIEC). The FIEC Student Reps are non-voting advisory positions for the committee. The FIEC is a parent advisory board for FPS Title VI Program, the FSST JOM program and Impact Aid that meets once a month at the FSST Community Center. FIEC Members include: Leah Fyten (Chair), Jessica Hovland (Vice Chair), Jackie Ross (Secretary), Hepi Flute Player and Sunni Blair (Parent Representatives).
