November 21st and 22nd, Wyandotte Nation hosted an education day for the 6-9 graders here at Wyandotte Public schools. The day consisted of lacrosse, hominy and cobbing, learning Wyandotte Nation history, and corn husk flowers. The kids had an amazing time at each station learning about history and crafting. Our High School Principal Matt Robertson said “Staff members from the cultural center for Wyandotte Nation reached out to us earlier this year. They wanted to know about putting together a couple of days, preferably in November, which is Indigenous People Appreciation Month, where we could do some activities with Wyandotte students to celebrate the rich history of the Wyandotte people. We were eager to do so because it is such an important thing for all of us to appreciate the culture that exists while taking part in a journey toward understanding the past. We have had a few events like this in the past, and every time, it is such an eye opening experience as we see the pride in culture, passion for understanding the past, and focus on the vision for the future that the Wyandotte people have. It is truly unique in my experience, how well defined each of these things are for this tribe. Students were given the opportunity to do corn husk flowers, make hominy, learn the language and history, and play lacrosse as they moved from station to station. As I moved around watching these students, this was something that was genuinely cool to them that they enjoyed. As a school system, we try really hard to make sure students see the value and relevance of the things we're teaching, but in this instance, we didn't have to even really try . . . they bought in and were glued from the start and participated well. All of the staff members at the cultural center were so good to work with and good at their presentations. We are grateful to have had these days and look forward to growing them even more in the future.”
Photo designed by Communication Specialist Cloe Thomasson