Diorama Project Sign-Up: Oct. 1
Indigenous Endeavors - Blue Zoo: Oct. 1
Indigenous Endeavors - Tulsa Zoo: Oct. 4
74th Annual UKB Celebration: Oct. 5
Moccasin Workshop: Oct. 8
Book Character Pumpkin Making Workshop: Oct. 9
IEPC Meeting: Oct. 10
OKC Zoo Educational Class- Road Trip through Oklahoma: Oct. 11
Tulsa Native American Day Parade: Oct. 14
Be A Good Ancestor - Oct. 14
Moccasin Workshop: Oct. 15
OU Native Nations Day: Oct. 21
Virtual Seed Bead Workshop: Oct. 22
Bison Ecology: Oct. 23
Choctaw Nation Career Expo: Oct. 23
Virtual Seed Bead Workshop: Oct. 24
Virtual Shaw Workshop: Oct. 29
Virtual Shaw Workshop: Oct. 30
Water Spider Virtual Field Trip: Oct. 30
ACT Vouchers for 9 - 12 Grade Students
SAT Vouchers for 11 - 12 Grade Students
ACT Score Reporting for 9 - 12 Grade Students
Oklahoma County College Night: Sept. 19
Please email kylee.montgomery@epiccharterschools.org if you plan on attending.
Pathways to Prosperity: American Indian Scholarship & Resource Fair: Sept. 21
Please email kylee.montgomery@epiccharterschools.org if you plan on attending.
Indigenous Endeavors
For grades Pre-K-12
Indigenous Endeavors is open to Title VI students in grades PreK-12. However, students wishing to compete in AISES STEM Competition must be in grades 5-12.
Advisors: Stephanie Hilliary, stephanie.hilliary@epiccharterschools.org and Jay Hester, jay.hester@epiccharterschools.org
NASO: Native American Student Organization
For grades 9-12
NASO is open to all high school students where they will be able to connect with other Native American students, have student leadership opportunities and engage within their Indigenous communities.
Weekly meetings held on Wednesdays via Zoom.
Advisor: Asa Thompson, asa.thompson@epiccharterschools.org
Whole Health and Wellness Club
For grades 9-12.
The Whole Health and Wellness Club is a place where students can gather weekly to discuss and learn how to cultivate good mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. We will discover lifelong skills, including self-care, healthy coping habits and what to do if the student or someone they know is in crisis. This serves as a safe space, where students can share and connect with others. The club is a project of the Student Engagement team.
Weekly meetings held Tuesdays and Wednesdays via Zoom.
Advisor: Ryan Fowler, ryan.fowler@epiccharterschools.org
Next Generation of Native Leaders
For grades 6-12.
Next Generation of Native Leaders is open to Title VI students in grades 6-12. This organization will assist students in becoming better leaders, nurture their talents, and promote collaboration and innovation.
Weekly meetings date and time TBD by participants.
Advisor: Kylee Montgomery, kylee.montgomery@epiccharterschools.org
JR NASO: Junior Native American Student Organization
For grades 6-8
Jr. NASO is open to students in grades 6-8. Students will have a chance to embrace Native American culture and identity while also getting to meet other Native students.
Weekly meetings date and time TBD by participants.
Advisor: Kylee Montgomery, kylee.montgomery@epiccharterschools.org
Native American Club
For grades 4-5.
Epic's Native American Club lets students in grades 4 and 5 meet with other Native students while learning about traditional homelands, traditional clothing, notable natives and language.
Weekly meetings are held Thursdays at 3 p.m. via Zoom.
Advisor: Amy Winterbottom, amy.winterbottom@epiccharterschools.org and Jay Hester, jay.hester@epiccharterschools.org
Warrior Book Clubs
For grades Pre K- 3.
The Warrior Book Clubs are for Pre-K-3 students to engage and interact with each other while listening to Indigenous-themed and authored read-aloud books.
PreK- grade 1, weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at 1 p.m. via Zoom.
Grades 2 and 3, weekly meetings are held Thursdays at 1 p.m. via Zoom.
Advisor: Walter Kerrick, walter.kerrick@epiccharterschools.org
Abigail Echo-Hawk by Belinda Westfall
Abigail Echo-Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, first gained national attention when her ribbon dress made of body bags was featured in Vogue Magazine.
Echo-Hawk is the executive vice president of the Seattle Indian Health Board and the director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, where she analyzes data to communicate disparities in the health care of Indigenous people. She calls herself a storyteller of health. She draws strength and courage from the spirit of the Indigenous community. She believes that the stories and the numbers of the data must be told together to affect change.
During the first weeks of the pandemic, a time when she was surrounded by death, she created a dress made of body bags to cope with the government's response to the request for personal protective equipment. Instead of the needed supplies, the Seattle Indian Health Board received a box of body bags.
But Echo-Hawk, who says that resilience is action-oriented, turned something traumatizing into a source of strength. The front of the dress shares her mantra: “I’m the tangible manifestation of my ancestor’s resiliency.” The red handprints represent missing and murdered Indigenous women. The ribbons on the sleeves are interwoven with the toe tags that came with the body bags.
Echo-Hawk advocates for women of color, hoping to eliminate the disparities in domestic violence, sexual assault, maternal care, and childcare.
“I work with the sacred data of my Community, and in my community, data speaks," she said. "It carves, it paints, it breathes.”
Three Sister Salad by Danylle Brock
Celebrating the Three Sisters: A Delicious Native American Tradition
The Three Sisters - corn, beans and squash - are more than just crops to many Native American tribes, including the Cherokee. They represent an ancient and ingenious farming technique developed by Native Americans that continues to inspire us today.
For the Cherokee people, these crops were not just food but also played essential roles in their culture and traditions. They used every part of these plants, from grinding corn into meal for bread to drying beans for winter use and roasting squash seeds for snacks.
Corn (Sister Corn): Tall and strong, corn supports the other sisters. She stands as a guardian in the garden, offering its stalks for the beans to climb.
Beans (Sister Bean): The middle sister, beans, wrap around the corn stalks as she grows. She gives back to the soil by fixing nitrogen, which helps all the plants thrive.
Squash (Sister Squash): The oldest sister spreads her large leaves on the ground, shading the soil to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Her prickly vines also deter pests.
The Sisters not only help each other thrive when growing, but when eaten together, they provide a complete and balanced meal: Corn offers carbohydrates for energy, beans are rich in protein and squash provides various vitamins and minerals.
The Three Sisters are woven into many Native legends, reminding us that we can help each other grow and thrive if we work together. A visual reminder that, as Native People, we are stronger together than apart!
Three Sisters Salad Recipe
ᏦᎢ ᏗᎾᏓᎸᎢ ᎢᏤ ᎠᎬᎭᎷᏴᎢ (Tsoi Dinadalvi Itse Agvhaluyvi
1-2 cups candy roaster squash, cubed (can use any type of squash such as yellow summer squash, butternut squash)
1/2 cup black/brown beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fresh corn
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 cups of greens of your choice, such as fresh romaine lettuce or spinach
Salad dressing:
• 2 TB. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 green onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
1. Cube squash 1 in. cubes, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees until tender, approx. 20 minutes. Let cool.
2. Combine salad ingredients and top with dressing.
Leslie Montemayor - Native American Programs Director
Danylle Brock - Inventory and Resource Specialist
Walter Kerrick - Southwest Regional Specialist
Asa Thompson - Southeast Regional Specialist
Amy Winterbottom - Northeast Regional Specialist
Stephanie Hiliary - Academic and Cultural Specialist, OKC Metro
Jay Hester - Academic and Cultural Specialist, Tulsa Metro
Kylee Montgomery - Lead Native Student College and Career Specialist, Western Region
Belinda Westfall - Native Student College and Career Specialist, Eastern Region
