Tribal dancers share heritage
WALLA WALLA – The performers were impressive enough, displaying intricately crafted costumes with dazzling beadwork, instruments, feathers and designs. But what made the award-winning dancers stand out more than their ornate costumes or graceful moves was their ages.
Pioneer Middle School eighth-graders took in a performance by the Wa’Lu’La’Pum Dance Troupe on Wednesday afternoon, listening and watching attentively and many joining in a group circle dance at the end.
“I think what also impressed them is these kids are about the same age,” said Lynn Junke, humanities teacher at Pioneer.
To the pounding beats of a drum and the singing of their elders, the young performers from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation shared a part of their heritage Wednesday in the Pioneer gymansium. The tribal youths ranged in ages from 6 years old to older teens.
They were at Pioneer performing traditional tribal dances to help wrap up an in-depth study by Pioneer eighth-graders on state tribal sovereignty and related treaties, tribal history and culture.
The enriched study of local tribes, which included guest speakers and the concluding dance performance, was funded by a $7,500 Supporting Student Success grant. The grant called for adding study of tribal sovereignty in the state into social studies classroom-based assessments that all eighth-graders complete as part of state learning guidelines.
Through the grant, schools were to partner with local libraries, and if possible local tribes, to enhance the learning experience. Pioneer partnered with the Walla Walla County Rural Library District and the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Students spent the year learning about the treaties that took millions of acres of land and rights to water and natural resources from Native Americans, while granting them sovereignty and life on reservations.
Angeline McCloud, who narrated and explained the dancing, said children on the reservation are taught dancing as soon as they can walk, and they are exposed to the music and rhythms since birth.
“I thought it was cool,” said Daniel Hussey, 14. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. I think it would be neat to do something like this.”