En Route: Lakota Lands and Identities

“Classroom on Wheels” (June 9-13, 2014) sponsored by:Rapid City Area Schools (Office of Indian Education)

and Rapid City Public School Foundation

Anpetu Waste (Good Day)

Summary

RCAS and RCPSF partnered to examine the need to address cultural understanding and relationships in our community. The goal is to create cultural ambassadors through learning groups and connect this learning to the community with a spirit of respect. It is hoped that through growth in understanding, the community will embrace the richness in culture and relationships and respect can be improved and measured.

Pe Sla – Roger Broer

Outcomes To create a Public Learning Community

(PuLC) of educated citizens in the history of the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires).

To build Respect through knowledge and experience to address the tradition of broken or lack of relationships between Native and Non-Natives.

To create teams consisting of civic, community and educators to share their stories and new perceptions in and out of the classroom.

Wind Cave National Park

ParticipantsA combination of 24 community members and 21 educators participated: Educators from RCAS (Elementary, Secondary and

Special Education) Parents Indian Education Title VII Parent Advisory Committee Law Enforcement Health and Social Services (Regional Health and

Youth and Families Services) Retired teachers State Attorney offices Ellsworth Air Force Base Board of Education and RC Public School Foundation Advocacy groups RCAS Alumni

Dr. Craig Howe

The Instructors

Dr. Craig Howe – Founded and Director of CAIRNS (Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies) - Member and Citizen of Oglala Sioux Tribe

Janet Fleming Martin – Educator at Lincoln High School

Ann Robertson – Educator at Whittier Middle School

Schedule ANPETU TOKAHE – Monday

- Pte Tatiyopa (Buffalo Gap), Wasun Niya (Wind Cave), Fort Robinson ANPETU NUNPA – Tuesday

- Mato Paha (Bear Butte) and Pe Sla (Reynolds Prairie) ANPETU YAMNI– Wednesday

- Pine Ridge – Red Cloud Art Show, Wounded Knee, Bette’s Kitchen, South Unit Badlands

ANPETU TOPA– Thursday- Mato Tipila (Devils Tower) and Custer

ANPETU ZAPTAN – Friday- Kyle (Chamber of Commerce) and Martin (CAIRNS/Wingsprings)

Justin Rowland Porcupine Resident and OST Tribal member

Wounded Knee Massacre site

Method of Instruction

Field Activities on route Small and large discussions Individual and Dyad

Assignments Evaluative Readings and Reflections Lectures (Limited) Video/DVDs

En Route Assignments

Next Steps

Conduct a PuLC – Public Learning Community to formulate plans and create Oceti Sakowin Ambassador teams.

Expand learning to more educators and community groups

Create curriculum and materials for teams to use for community outreach

Advocacy and Outreach Develop evaluative tools to measure

impact Apply for outside funding to support

additional Classroom on Wheels and seminars

Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge aka Devils Tower)

Sound bites from participants

• This class has been one of the best educational experiences of my life. It is hard to believe that there was so much history right in our area that I was unaware of. I cannot wait to implement many of things that I have learned in this class within my classroom. Jeff Palmer

• This experience has been so rewarding for me, I’ve struggled with trying to help non-natives understand and accept who I am “Lakota”. Being in this class showed me that there are a lot of non-natives fighting my fight with me. Zabie Zimiga

Sound bites from participants

• The Classroom on Wheels is the best thing that I have experienced. I am an Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge, but so much of this information I had not had the opportunity to learn. Ramona Herrington

• This has been a powerful week. I’ve learned about things I either didn’t know or had misconceptions towards. I didn’t realize how closely Lakota identity is tied to their spirituality to the land. I plan to continue learning about Lakota’s then incorporating as much as I can into my Biology lessons. I have really appreciated your effort to use information that has been researched and corroborated to explain historical events and cultural beliefs. This class has made me a better person. Bob Byer

Toksa Ake Wacinyankinkte (ye or yelo)I will see you again