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(NATIVE AMERICAN DRUMMING) >> WE HAVE WONDERFUL
SPEAKERS. WE ALSO HAVE SOME SENIORS
THAT WILL BE SHARING -- (SPEAKING NATIVE AMERICAN)
>> SO WHAT I JUST SAID IS, HELLO, RELATIVES, I SHAKE
YOUR HAND WITH A GOOD HEART. AND MY NAME IS RED HEART
WOMAN, WHICH IS MY LAKOTA NAME.
AND I SAID I CAME FROM MY RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
(NATIVE AMERICAN CHANTING) >> SO, GOOD MORNING, NACA.
SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU ON OUR 7TH ANNUAL NACA FEAST DAY.
I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS IN ITS SECOND YEAR GOING, AND
THERE WERE LIKE 120 STUDENTS.
NOW WE'RE CLOSE TO 300, I BELIEVE, AND IT'S JUST SO
BEAUTIFUL TO SEE ALL OF YOU. >> WHAT IS IT THAT KEEPS
KIDS ENGAGED AT NACA? >> ONE IS THE RELATIONSHIP
THAT THEY HAVE WITH NOT ONLY THE OTHER STUDENTS IN THEIR
CLASS, BUT THEIR TEACHERS. AND ALSO, LIKE THE COMMUNITY
AS A WHOLE. SO I THINK THE SENSE AND
ELEMENT OF LIKE COMMUNITY AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IS
REALLY STRONG. I THINK THE SECOND THING IS
OUR CURRICULUM HAS SOME UNIQUE ASPECTS TO IT, AND
ONE OF THE MAJOR TENANTS OF THE SCHOOL IS FOCUSED ON
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. SO STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO
WRITING DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, LIKE THE NAVAJO LANGUAGE,
THE LAKOTA LANGUAGE, SPANISH, TIWA.
AND THEN ALSO A NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES FOCUS.
SO THEY'RE READING NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE, AS WELL
AS IN THE UPPER GRADES AN INDIGENOUS CORE THAT FOCUSES
ON INDIGENOUS STUDIES, BOTH KIND OF AT A LOCAL LEVEL,
BUT ALSO A GLOBAL LEVEL. (NEW ZEALAND MAORI CHANTING)
>> SOME OF OUR GENERATIONS BEFORE TALKED ABOUT THE TWO
WORLDS IDEA, A NOTION THAT'S THROWN AROUND MORE AND MORE
AND MORE, IN THAT IT CREATES A SCHIZOPHRENIC IDENTITY FOR
NATIVE AMERICANS. THERE'S AN INTERNAL SWITCH
THAT WE HAVE, SO WHEN WE COME TO THE MAINSTREAM WE
TURN OFF WHO WE ARE AS NATIVE AMERICANS AND STOP
SPEAKING OUR LANGUAGE, STOP TALKING ABOUT OUR CULTURE
AND OUR TRADITIONS. WHEN WE WENT TO NEW ZEALAND,
THEY DON'T HAVE A SWITCH. SO GOING INTO THEIR
CEREMONIES AND AT THE SAME TIME COMING BACK TO THE CITY
IS BEING WHO THEY ARE NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON.
(NEW ZEALAND MAORI CHANTING) >> WHEN YOU WERE IN JUNIOR
HIGH, DID YOU KIND OF RELATE TO OTHER PEOPLE AS, SO, I'M
FROM ISLETA PUEBLO, THAT KIND OF THING?
>> DURING MIDDLE SCHOOL, A LOT OF MY IDENTITY WASN'T AS
SECURE, AND SO IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF
AS LIKE AN ISLETA PUEBLO PERSON, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANT TO BE ISLETA PUEBLO, OR EVEN
NATIVE AMERICAN. AND AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T
HAVE CONFIDENCE IN EXPLAINING WHO I WAS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NACA HAS GIVEN ME.
>> AT NACA, I WASN'T AFRAID TO BE WHO I WAS.
I WASN'T AFRAID TO REPRESENT MY TRIBE OF JEMEZ.
I WAS JUST ME. >> DO YOU THINK HE WOULD
HAVE HAD THAT SAME SELF-CONFIDENCE AND THAT
SAME IDEA THAT, HEY, I CAN LEAD, IF HE WAS GOING TO A
TRADITIONAL SCHOOL? >> HE DIDN'T.
HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT. I COULD SEE THAT HE WAS VERY
LONELY. HE WAS BORED.
HIS ACADEMICS WERE DOING WELL, BUT HE WAS JUST
MISSING SOMETHING. AND HE TOLD ME, GRANDMA,
I'LL BE ABLE TO PRACTICE WHAT I LOVE DOING, AND
THAT'S MUSIC, THAT'S BEING TRADITIONAL.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S CULTURE.
IT GAVE HIM THAT REALLY, REALLY ENJOYMENT OF
EXPRESSING HIMSELF FOR HIS TALENTS THAT HE'S KNOWN FOR.
AND SO THAT REALLY OPENED UP A LOT OF DOORS FOR HIM.
>> OTHER STUDENTS WE HAVE TALKED TO HAVE SAID THAT
THEY REALLY FELT CHALLENGED BY NACA, AND THAT YOUR
TEACHERS AND YOUR ADVISERS AREN'T AFRAID TO PUSH YOU.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? >> NACA REALLY SET THE
STANDARD TO WHERE WE WOULD BE -- WE'RE ALREADY VIEWED
AS LEADERS. I THINK ONE THING ABOUT NACA
IS THAT WE HAVE A REAL PUSH TOWARDS FINDING OUR OWN
PASSIONS AND THEN CONTRIBUTING TO THE
COMMUNITY WITH THAT PASSION. >> HOW DO YOU THINK HIGH
SCHOOL WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF YOU HAD JUST
GONE TO A REGULAR HIGH SCHOOL?
>> AT NACA, THEY REALLY BELIEVE IN EACH AND EVERY
ONE OF THE STUDENTS. THEY DON'T JUST SAY, OKAY,
HERE'S THE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT, THEY'RE A GOOD
LEADER, THE REST OF THE KIDS, WE DON'T KNOW THEM SO
WE DON'T CARE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
I GUESS I'VE REALLY BEEN TAUGHT TO BE A LEADER AT
NACA, BECAUSE THEY PUT YOU IN ALL THESE ROLES.
LIKE PUBLIC SPEAKING, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS ONE OF THE VERY
FIRST THINGS THAT WE ALL HAD TO DO.
IT DIDN'T MATTER IF YOU WERE SCARED TO DEATH TO TALK IN
FRONT OF PEOPLE, THEY'D MAKE YOU DO IT, JUST BECAUSE THEY
KNEW THAT WAS THE FIRST STEP.
AND BEING ABLE TO MEET EVERYBODY IN MY CLASS, AND
EVERYBODY'S FAMILIES. AND I GUESS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO HAVE ANOTHER FAMILY AT MY SCHOOL.
>> WELL, THE SCHOOL I WENT TO BEFORE NACA, IT WAS A
PUBLIC SCHOOL. SO THEY REALLY DIDN'T GIVE
TOO MUCH INTEREST ON US, ON WHAT OUR BACKGROUNDS WERE
FROM. >> WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO
SOME CONJUGATIONS TODAY. SO PULL OUT A PIECE OF
PAPER. >> IN CLASS, AND IN
LANGUAGE, I THINK ONE THING THAT REALLY HELPS ME IS THE
FACT THAT MY TEACHERS ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE
LANGUAGE, AND I KNOW I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THEM, SO
I'M NOT AFRAID TO TRY AND MESS UP AND LEARN FROM MY
OWN MISTAKES. >> HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE TO
PUT YOURSELF IN THERE? WHERE ARE THE FORMS OF SELF?
>> AND IT'S VERY GOOD, THE SENSE OF PRIDE.
IT'S NOT JUST A LANGUAGE CLASS, IT'S A WHOLE CULTURAL
EMERSION CLASS. YOU LEARN OTHER THINGS OTHER
THAN LANGUAGE. YOU LEARN THE SONGS, YOU
LEARN PART OF THE CULTURE. >> HAMPA, HAMPA, HAMPA.
>> A FEW OF MY FRIENDS, THEY TOOK A TIWA CLASS, AND
THEY'RE TEACHING ME A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, TOO.
LIKE, I ONLY KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TWO WORDS, BUT IT'S
STILL PRETTY COOL. >> WHEN YOU WERE SITTING UP
THE SCHOOL, WHY DID YOU FEEL IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING
THAT CULTURE INTO THE SCHOOL?
>> THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT REALLY SAW THAT ABSENT
FROM SCHOOLS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE
HISTORY OF EDUCATION, FOR NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS
THERE'S REALLY LIKE AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO TAKE
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE OUT OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT HAS
SOME REALLY NEGATIVE EFFECTS OVER TIME IN AN EDUCATIONAL
SETTING. I CAN TELL YOU, LIKE,
PERSONALLY WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT I CAN ALSO
TELL YOU COLLECTIVELY, LIKE JUST WHEN WE WERE ASKING THE
QUESTIONS ABOUT, LIKE, WHAT WORKED WELL IN EDUCATION FOR
YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN AN
IDEAL SCHOOL, FOLKS REALLY DROVE INTO THE IDEA OF
IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO FEELING CONNECTED TO
THE SCHOOL. AS WE TALKED TO PARENTS AND
STUDENTS, THEY EITHER FELT LIKE THAT WAS -- MOST OF
THEM FELT IT WASN'T PRESENT IN THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY
WERE GOING TO, AND THEREFORE, THEY THOUGHT THAT
STUDENTS FELT MARGINALIZED. AND I THINK THAT THEY WERE
LOOKING FOR THAT SENSE OF CONNECTION.
SO I WOULD SAY THE CULTURAL ASPECTS THAT WE PROVIDE
REALLY SOLIDIFY LIKE A SENSE OF BELONGING AND CONNECTION
FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. AND I WANT TO ALSO REALLY
MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND LIKE THE FAMILY
PART IS HUGE, RIGHT. LIKE, WE DON'T WANT TO
DISCONNECT OUR STUDENTS FROM THEIR FAMILIES.
WE ACTUALLY FOCUS ON SERVING THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, NOT EVER HAVING A NATIVE
AMERICAN TEACHER, COUNSELOR, PRINCIPAL, ROLE MODEL IN MY
ENTIRE TIME IN MY K-12 EXPERIENCE IN NEW MEXICO,
LIKE THAT TO ME SEEMS A LITTLE CRAZY.
>> I FEEL LIKE IT REALLY HELPED ME REALIZE WHAT I
WANT TO DO IN LIFE. >> I THINK MAGGIE HAS FOUND
HER VOICE, HER SENSE AS A NATIVE WOMAN HERE.
>> SO, ONE OF THE STUDENTS WE SPOKE WITH SAID, NACA IS
INTERESTING TO THEM BECAUSE COMPARED TO A NORMAL HIGH
SCHOOL, WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR HERE, YOU'RE VIEWED
ALREADY AS A LEADER. WHY?
>> IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE OVERARCHING KIND OF, I
GUESS, MISSION OF THE SCHOOL, IT'S TO REALLY THINK
ABOUT STUDENTS WHO WOULD LEAVE THE SCHOOL, I GUESS,
ULTIMATELY, AND TAKE WITH THEM A PERSPECTIVE THAT
HELPS THEM HAVE A SENSE OF LIKE COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY
AND SERVICE. AND THAT'S IN ANY GIVEN KIND
OF PROFESSION, OR ROLE, OR FAMILY, KIND OF ANY ROLE
THAT THEY PLAY, AND THEY CONTINUE ON AFTER THE
SCHOOL. >> GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS JULIE SANCHEZ. I'M FROM ISLETA PUEBLO.
>> ONE THING IS BEING ABLE TO SPEAK COMFORTABLY IN
FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE, AND BEING PROUD OF YOUR NATIVE
IDENTITY AND REALLY SHARING IT WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
>> PROBABLY THE PEOPLE I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO
REMEMBER ARE JUNIOR GARCIA IN MY LAKOTA CLASS.
ON OUR TRIP TO SOUTH DAKOTA, WE SPENT A WHOLE WEEK
TOGETHER EXPLORING THE DIFFERENT LAKOTA
RESERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCING THE CULTURE.
>> I THINK THEY GIVE US A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO
REALLY KIND OF FIND OURSELVES AS LEADERS,
BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLE.
>> I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO FEAST DAYS, POW-WOWS,
PRAYERS, SONGS AND DANCES, AND I REALIZED THAT THAT
WASN'T -- I'M SORRY. >> IT'S OKAY.
>> NOT JUST SO THAT ALL OF US CAN GROW UP AND BE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OR SOMETHING, BUT
JUST TO BE ABLE TO BE COMFORTABLE IN WHERE YOU'RE
COMING FROM, COMFORTABLE WHEREVER YOU END UP AFTER
SCHOOL, AND COMFORTABLE IN YOUR ABILITY TO REALLY SHOW
WHO YOU ARE AND SHOW PEOPLE HOW YOU THINK.
LEADERSHIP IS A GREAT SKILL FOR ANYONE TO HAVE, AND TO
BE CONFIDENT IN THAT EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT IN A LEADERSHIP
POSITION. (APPLAUSE)
>> I REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T AS DIFFERENT AS MY
OWN CULTURE, AND BEING HERE HAS INSPIRED ME TO GET DOWN
TO MY OWN ROOTS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE NEVER
DONE BEFORE. I JUST HOPE THAT IT'S AN
EXPERIENCE MORE KIDS LIKE ME, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY,
GET TO ATTEND NACA, AND THEY CAN SEE THE THINGS THAT I
HAVE, AND EXPERIENCE THE THINGS THAT I HAVE, AND SEE
THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE IN INTERESTED IN CULTURE, NO
ONE IS GOING TO TREAT YOU DIFFERENT.
THANK YOU. (APPLAUSE)
(SINGING) >> I IDENTIFY MYSELF AS A
NATIVE WOMAN. SO THROUGH LEARNING MY
LANGUAGE, THROUGH PARTICIPATING IN CEREMONIES,
THROUGH DOING CULTURAL LEADERSHIP, THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, BECAUSE
IT'S WHO I AM, AND IT HELPS ME IDENTIFY WHO I AM, AND IT
HELPS ME IDENTIFY THE PERSON THAT I WANT TO BE.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND KNOW A LOT
ABOUT WHERE I COME FROM AND WHO I COME FROM.
THAT HELPS ME IDENTIFY WHO I AM.
SO CULTURE IS HOW I IDENTIFY WHO I AM.
(NATIVE AMERICAN DRUMMING)