Students celebrate Native American heritage

Blueberries, blackberries, dried grapes, sockeye salmon and pemmican were laid out in a huge spread at Sisters Elementary School Thursday - all foods eaten by Oregon's native people hundreds of years ago.

Fourth-grade students presented their 23rd annual Native American Celebration as part of their history and social studies classes focused on Native American traditions and the Oregon Trail.

Fourth-grade instructors Clay Warburton, Julie Holden, Kathy Powell, and Mark Lamont put the program together with the help of volunteer parents.

Students wore colored T-shirts to represent the various tribes native to Oregon rather than wear traditional native dress.

Parents, grandparents and friends were invited to attend the program. Approximately 40 attendees listened to what the children had learned this year about native peoples.

"We are celebrating the first people of Oregon," the children began. They followed with an overview of native history. The fourth-graders filled the stage floor, each child representing hundreds of native population. One by one they fell to the ground as thousands of native people were decimated by diseases brought by the explorers.

"Nine tribes are recognized in Oregon," they said. "They are our neighbors, our teachers, and our friends. In fact, they are us."

Children sang native songs, in English, playing drums. They demonstrated games native children played; some, it is believed, were played 14,000 years ago. One such game was a secret passing of a stick from child to child to the rhythm of a drumbeat. When the drum stopped playing the children had to guess who had the stick.

The fourth-graders got into the spirit of bartering for goods using sign language. The children explained when different tribes gathered for trade, many did not speak the same language, so sign language was generally used. Waterways were popular sites for trading.

The audience participated in the last event of the program, the feast of berries and meats. The recorded voice of a native storyteller played in the background while students and parents enjoyed the varied sampling.

Pam Mitchell, who was there to see her son Sam, commented that the kids did a great job and the teachers did a great job too.

"It's a part of our history and it's good to understand other cultures," she said.

Bernardine Lowery came with her daughter to see her great-granddaughter, fourth-grade student Faith Tewalt.

"I went to school here," she said, "and all my kids went to school here." Her daughter Sue (Faith's grandmother) said, "This program reminded me of Diane Jacobsen, who started the program."