There are 574 federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native tribes in the United States, around 300 of which are represented by well over 1,000 Spokane Public Schools students.
We spoke with four of these students – and a couple of mentors – to ask what Native American Heritage Month means to them and to learn a little about why they’re proud of their culture throughout the year.
“My culture never gave up”
“There was something your mom told me this morning,” student support specialist Kendra CrowShoe says, nudging Stevens Elementary third grader Avyanna to share a special piece of family history. “She said you wanted to make sure to mention that your great grandpa was Chief Two Guns White Calf. And what's special about him?”
“He's on the buffalo head nickel,” Avyanna recalls, flashing a quiet, confident smile.
Kendra leads an after school Indigenous Club at Stevens that’s intended to connect students like Avyanna with a love of their culture and community.
Similar clubs began at several other elementary, middle and schools this year, giving more students opportunities to practice beadwork and other crafts while learning about their Native American heritage.
“So, what aspect of your heritage are you most proud of?” Kendra asks.
“That my culture never gave up,” Avyanna replies.
“It’s nice to know we’re not the only Native kids here”
When asked the same question, Garry Middle School sixth grader Julian points first to his Native American name – Mlqnups – then to his hair, which is tied in neat braids that drape over his shoulders.
“My mom doesn't really like us cutting our hair,” he says. “I sometimes get mistaken for a girl, but I tell them I'm a boy and that long hair is part of our culture.”
Sitting across the table, SPS Native Ed Support Specialist Marty Whelshula, says it’s a common experience for young Native American men.
“My son, when he was in first grade, his hair was really long too and I had to go to the school and actually share about the culture, just try and educate,” he recalls.
That’s a big part of why he’s here at Garry and several other SPS schools – to give Native students a voice and make sure they feel heard by other staff and administrators. Marty leads a group similar to Kendra’s club, where students like Julian connect with each other and their overlapping traditions.
“The club is where we learn about the seven grandfather teachings, and it’s nice to know we're not the only Native kids here,” Julian says.
Marty says the goal is to create spaces where everyone can learn and thrive. “There are two worlds that we have to kind of balance between and hold onto – not only the culture but also the academics. And both hopefully get students to appreciate, whether they're native or non-native, what we're about.”
“Our youth still exist; we still practice our cultural ways”
At Lewis and Clark High School, a small group of girls gather after school in the library – some beading, some doing homework, some just chatting with each other.
Paikea, a freshman, steps aside to talk briefly about her family history, which includes both loss and resolve.
“My grandpa on my mother's side, he was the last person in her side of the family to be put into residential school that we know of,” she says. “And then on my dad's side, my great-grandma, she was the last one to be taken. We lost a lot of our family heritage through these schools.”
She says Native American Heritage Month offers an annual chance to consider this point in our country’s history.
“It’s important to know that there were people here before other people came,” she says. “That we had our lands and our strength, that there was a way that worked before it was harmed when colonizers arrived.”
She says this month is about representation – honoring the fact that Native Americans can and should feel proud to practice their traditions.
“My grandfather wasn't allowed to show his culture for a really long time while he was in boarding school,” she says. “And I want people to know that we are still here, our youth still exist, we still practice our cultural ways, and I'm glad we have a whole month dedicated to that, that it’s not shamed upon anymore.”
“There's backup, there's people who understand, there's people who get it”
Aleena, a senior, follows Paikea’s interview by recounting what it was like to grow up on a reservation in Yakima.
“My mom would take me to go root digging a lot,” she says. “And that's a core memory for me – being out there with my little shovel and picking out medicine. I'm glad I'm able to carry those memories with me for the future and I can tell my kids one day that, ‘hey, this is what we used to practice, and I hope we still do.’”
While living in the city has its perks, it can be lonely, and she sometimes misses living on the reservation. “There's not a whole bunch of us that make it out, and not a lot of people here who can relate to you.”
That’s what makes this community of girls vital. The club didn’t exist when she first came to Spokane, and she knew few Native people besides those in her own family.
“I wanted there to be a space for all girls – even if you're not Native – to come together and know that there's backup, there's people who understand, there's people who get it,” Aleena says. “I love all these girls because I'm glad they're coming each week and getting together. It makes me so happy, because we didn't have that when I was a freshman.”
Learn more about how our Native Education Department works to support all Native students to achieve academically through culturally responsive practices and provide opportunities to connect culturally.