ISD 196 American Indian Education
January /February, 2024
I am happy to announce that Sierra Knudsen has accepted the RESOURCE CLERK position for the American Indian Education Program. Sierra’s first day was Monday January 8th.
Sierra is a citizen of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, a graduate of Stanford University AND a graduate of APPLE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL. While in college Sierra worked as an RA for the Stanford’s “House of the People” Indigenous student dormitory where she helped plan many great events for her school-mates and the larger University community. Sierra has worked for our Indian Education program for the past year as an Academic Coach and will continue to support our high school students with that work in addition to her role as a clerk.
Sierra will work from the American Indian Education Classroom at Silver Bell Learning Center Monday – Friday/9am – 2pm.
If you would like to connect with Sierra, you can reach her at: Sierra.Knudsen or by phone: 651-905-5891.
Sierra - Welcome to District 196!
This past January, the AIE Program invited 196 Native American elementary families to the annual winter storytelling event hosted in our NEW American Indian Education Classroom at Silver Bell Learning Center.
At this event, the students and families were treated with a book reading by Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara author: JOELLE BEARSTAIL. Joelle read and autographed copies of her book Bear's Braid - a story about a young Indigenous boy and his experience being bullied because of his long hair.
Students also were able to listen to winter stories from Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe elder: Mary Lyons and Lac Courte Oreille Ojibwe elder Charlene Delaney.
Parents and Guardians also were able to meet District 196's Elementary Education Director - Jeremy Sorenson and Director of Teaching and Learning - Steve Troen to discuss how District 196 plans to support teaching & learning around Ojibwe and Dakota perspectives within the Minnesota State Standards across grade levels and subject areas.
Each Tribal nations, also known as sovereign nations have their own unique languages and traditions. The Tribal nations use many ways to communicate, preserve, and pass on their cultural and ceremonial traditions to future generations. The most common form of communication of teachings is through oral tradition or storytelling that teaches culture, history and every day living skills.
The method of storytelling through oral tradition, in which information is passed down through the generations is by word of mouth. Storytelling was reserved for winter, when camps would gather and tell stories that would teach or entertain. Today, the term oral tradition is associated with poems, songs, speeches, choreography, and spoken word. One of the major misunderstanding of Native American storytelling is that Native American storytelling is a folktale, myth, and legend. Native American storytelling are best described as teachings.
An example of how the stories were teachings is how a story told by a a Tribe in Western Oregon teaches about swallows and salmon harvest. The story is about how swallows return to the Oregon Coast in the spring before the salmon run. The story teaches that this is the time of year that it is a time to go and harvest fish for ceremonies.
Reflection: What stories did you hear that helped you today?
Resources: The links below are resources from various organizations to provide you with more information and awareness.
