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ROB MCCLENDON: WELL WHEN NOT PROPERLY PROTECTED AND PRESERVED, TRADITIONS THAT
HAVE LASTED THE MILLENNIA, CAN JUST IN THE MATTER OF GENERATIONS, QUICKLY
DISAPPEAR.
THAT'S WHY WORK CONTINUES TO PRESERVE OUR NATIVE TRADITIONS.
JOINING ME NOW IS OUR ANDY BARTH.
ANDY BARTH: WELL ROB, NATIVE TRADITIONS RUN DEEP HERE IN OKLAHOMA, FROM POW
WOWS TO CULTURAL CENTERS, NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE A RICH CULTURE TO SHARE WITH
EVERYONE.
AND STUDENTS FROM THE PONCA NATION ARE WORKING TO PRESERVE THE CULTURE
THEY CALL THEIR OWN.
[POW WOW MUSIC].
FROM DRUMMING TO DANCING, THE PONCA POW WOW SHOWCASES ITS RICH
HERITAGE AND TRADITIONS.
ATHENA SMITH: IT'S JUST A REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE.
ANDY: ATHENA SMITH IS ONE OF FOUR STUDENTS WORKING TO PRESERVE THE PONCA
NATION'S HERITAGE.
SHE INTERVIEWED THE TRIBE'S TOWN CRIER, AN HONRARY LIFETIME POSITION
WHOSE DUTY IS TO CALL THE DIFFERENT DANCES DURING THE POW WOW.
ATHENA: I FELT THAT IT WAS REALLY COOL HEARING HIS KNOWLEDGE AND HEARING HIS
INTAKE ON BEING THE CAMP CRIER SINCE THERE HASN'T BEEN ONE FOR A LONG TIME.
ANDY: TOM FIELDS IS TEACHING THESE STUDENTS HOW TO PRESERVE THE PONCA
TRADITIONS USING DIGITAL MEDIA.
TOM FIELDS: WE GOT A SMALL GRANT THROUGH A VIDEO PROJECT WITH VISION MAKER,
THE NATIVE AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION GROUP.
ANDY: USING TECHNOLOGY TO LEARN THEIR CULTURE.
TOM: I WANT THEM TO LEARN HOW TO TELL A STORY USING DIGITAL MEDIA.
AND STORIES THAT I WOULD HOPE THEY FIND ARE IN THEIR OWN FAMILY; IN THEIR
OWN TRIBE.
THESE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING A LOT ABOUT THEIR HISTORY AND CULTURE.
USING THE MAC COMPUTERS, USING THE LITTLE CAMERAS, THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO
PLAN, ORGANIZE, AND PUT TOGETHER A STORY.
ANDY: AND FOR FIELDS, PRESERVING THIS HERITAGE IS VITAL FOR THE FUTURE OF
THE PONCA NATION.
TOM: BECAUSE IT ONLY TAKES ONE OR TWO GENERATIONS TO REALLY LOSE EVERYTHING.
AND THE WAY OUR TRADITIONS AND NATIVE CULTURE IS, IT REALLY CONTAINS A LOT OF
THINGS THAT HELP ONE SURVIVE THE WORLD.
ANDY: SARAH NELSEN IS THE EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR FOR THE PONCA NATION AND SAYS
PONCA YOUTH ARE LOSING THEIR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.
SARAH NELSON: NOT EVERYBODY JUST SITS AROUND THE FAMILY TABLE AND TALKS
PONCA AND TELLS PONCA STORIES.
A LOT OF THEM THEY DON'T HAVE ANY ELDERS TO TALK TO.
THERE'S A LOT OF POLITICAL RIVALRY IN THE TRIBES TO WHERE THEY CAN'T GO
OUTSIDE TO OTHER ELDERS.
IT'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CULTURE; THEY'RE JUST HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING
TOGETHER.
ANDY: AND FOR STUDENT TYRESE HINMAN, HE'S READY TO RECLAIM HIS HERITAGE.
TYRESE HINMAN: NOT VERY MANY OF US KNOW A LOT ABOUT IT.
A LOT OF US DON'T EVEN KNOW OUR LANGUAGE I'M TRYING TO LEARN THE PONCA
LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW, BUT, FROM ATHENA'S DAD, AND I'VE ONLY GOT SO FAR.
ANDY: PRESERVING CUSTOMS THAT HAVE SPANNED GENERATIONS.
SARAH: EVEN THOUGH WE WORK REAL DEEP WITH THE CULTURE AND EVERYTHING IT DOESN'T
MATTER WHAT COLOR YOU ARE; WHAT MATTERS IS YOU FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE.
[POW WOW MUSIC].
ANDY: WELL NOW ONCE FINISHED, THE PONCA STUDENTS WILL DEBUT THEIR
WORK DURING A COMMUNITY EVENT.
ROB: ALRIGHT ANDY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE IT.
NOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ON NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE, WE HAVE
A STORY WITH A NOTED OKLAHOMA FAMILY OF INDIAN FLUTE PLAYERS STREAMING ON
OUR WEBSITE UNDER OUR VALUE ADDED SECTION.