Community Organizing By Native American Youth

EHS Indian Ed Parent Night, November 2009

I am very grateful and honored to have the opportunity to facilitate the Native American Club at Zane Middle School as part of my MSW internship this year. The Eureka City Schools Indian Education Program is going through a transition this year, part of which has included the continued effort to provide comprehensive support services to Native American students at Zane Middle School, Zoe Barnum High School, and Eureka High School. As an intern, I am involved in the planning and implementation of Indian Ed services at Zane. The Native American club meets once per week during the lunch period. Its development is ongoing and strengthening with relationships and purpose. What began with our first club meeting, consisting of three students and myself, has grown to nearly thirty students, teachers, and parents attending and welcoming guest speakers. Initially, the students brainstormed their ideas about what they wanted for their club. For the most part they wanted to learn more about Native American culture and create opportunities for the entire school to learn as well. Topics brought up included: languages, songs, stories, traditions, art, and history. The students also offered many ideas of community members and relatives that could be potential guest speakers. So far we have welcomed a Native drummer/singer and a local Native author/historian, and we hope to have many more guest speakers throughout the year. We will also be partnering with Eureka High School’s Indian Club to create a bridge between schools and plan community events. I was very inspired by the Eureka High School Indian Ed Parent Night that was held in November. It was organized by a student who took it on as her senior project, with support from the EHS Indian Club, EHS Multicultural Club, and administration. Local well known Native community members performed and gave speeches, many local businesses donated items to raffle, the EHS Multicultural club prepared Indian tacos, and families contributed food for the potluck. Over 100 people were in attendance, which set an unprecedented turnout for Native families at an Indian Ed event. The success of that evening showed that Native students, when given opportunities and support, can be powerful community organizers who may be able to reconnect their families with schools and set standards for other Native students to work towards and maintain. My hope is that the students at Zane will likewise learn to organize and facilitate their club themselves so that it will be ongoing and cohesive long after my internship has ended.

EHS Indian Ed Parent Night, November 2009