March 11-15, 2020 (In-person academy cancelled – online learning forthcoming)
Teacher Core Class
Native Voices Cultural Curriculum
Patsy Whitefoot (Yakama Nation), Yvonne Peterson (Chehalis Nation) and Sara Marie Ortiz (Acoma Pueblo)
Patsy Whitefoot, Yakama Elder and renowned educator, was born and raised in the original homelands of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Ms. Whitefoot lives in White Swan, WA, where she was raised by her maternal grandparents. She continues to live in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains where her early lessons were grounded in the natural environment. Family travels along the Columbia River to fish and gather the traditional foods fostered a deep relationship with extended family and the diverse lands of the Yakama people.
The depth of Patsy Whitefoot’s experience in Indian education is exceptional, having served at different times as superintendent, principal, consultant, counselor, teacher, and visionary founder of many instrumental programs. She has won an array of awards; in 2009, President Obama appointed her as a member of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. For 20 years, Patsy served as the Education Committee Chair for the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and is the former President of the National Indian Education Association.
She has three children who all graduated from White Swan High School on the Yakama Reservation and ten grandchildren. In rearing her children and supporting extended family, she is impressed in the Native children’s natural gift for learning. In her role as an educator, she advocates her ancestors’ vision of holistic health, environmental and spiritual well-being with origins steeped in the diverse Native languages, values, cultures and histories of the Americas.
Yvonne Annette Toon Nee Mu Sh Dupuis Peterson (Chehalis) invites us all to “sit beside” each other and learn – the way her mother showed her to live a caring life. Growing up rich in salmon, berries, and much natural bounty, Yvonne was taught to work hard for family, community and self in the prairie and river lands of her people. Her ancestors are woven into her consciousness and actions, she breathes their same breath and walks the paths they created for her generations ago. It is weaving, in fact, that founds the basis of her culture understandings. Weaving baskets connects her to the Chehalis’s cultured natural world, strands of plants and memories coming together in a beautiful contained wholeness to carry into the next generation. Expressing her prayers as poems, Yvonne seeks to “transform the past into the future through a prism of caring.” Yvonne is a political scientist, educator, and intergenerational cultural awakener who weaves together traditional and academic methods at home and at the Evergreen State University. As Yvonne says, “You don’t teach everyone the same weave because then they won’t need each other.” Yvonne assures those around her to trust their own thinking, persevere, and show their faces to the ancestors.
Chehalis Elder, eighth generation master weaver, and professor of Indigenous Studies at the Evergreen State College, Yvonne Peterson received Bachelors degrees in Elementary Education and Ethnic Studies from Western Washington University, and a Masters in Political Science from the University of Arizona. Professor Peterson is a founding member of the Indigenous Studies program at the Evergreen State College where she has taught for the past 36 years. With her husband and teaching partner, Gary Peterson, Professor Peterson has collaboratively designed and taught interdisciplinary courses that center Native arts, culture, education, political science and advocacy to shape the next generation of indigenous leaders, creators and agents of change. In recognition of her decades of service to Native students and communities, Ms. Peterson was awarded the Enduring Spirit Award from the Native Action Network in 2015.
Sara Marie Ortiz (Pueblo of Acoma) graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts and Antioch University Los Angeles’ MFA program with a focus in creative nonfiction. She’s formally studied law, Indigenous education, global self-determination in Indigenous communities, radio, theater, and film.
Ms. Ortiz has been presenting her creative work nationally and internationally for over fifteen years and has published work extensively, including in prestigious publications such as the Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, Sentence, and Fulcrum.
Her first collection Red Milk (2013) is available on Amazon; she is currently at work on her second collection called Savage: A Love Story. Sara Marie Ortiz lives in Burien, Washington and manages the Native Education Program for Highline Public Schools.
Class Offering: Native Voices Cultural Curriculum – Teacher Professional Learning
Grounded in place-based, story-led learning, teachers will participate in arts infused lessons from the Native Voices Cultural Curriculum. We will explore the roots of indigenous knowledge through Native arts-infused experiences – writing, acting, storytelling, dancing, filmmaking and making art in response to the teachings of foundational stories from the Nisqually, Squaxin, and other coastal peoples.
Student Classes
Class A – Weaving the First Basket
Elaine Grinnell, Julie Grinnell-Bode and Sarah Klostermeier (Jamestown Klallam)
Renowned storyteller, basket weaver, indigenous cook and Jamestown Klallam Elder, Elaine Grinnell was born October 16, 1936 in Port Angeles, Washington. She married Fredrick C. Grinnell in 1960 and they have three children: Jack, Julia and Kurt. Zackary, Nickolas and Mackenzie (Jack & Michelle), Khia, Michael, Sarah and Jon (Julia & Jon), Alonah and Jaden (Kurt & Terri) are her grandchildren. Mildred Francis Prince Judson, her mother, was a full blood Jamestown Klallam. Harold Peter James, her father, was a full blood Lummi. Her grandparents on her mother’s side were David and Elizabeth Hunter Prince. Elaine’s great grandfather was the Prince of Wales. Her great great grandfather, Cheech-ma-han (Indian spelling) was known as Chetzemoka, Chief of the Klallam.
Of her work, Elder Grinnell says, “It is my desire to spread the word of the Klallam people, their culture, legends, food, survival, coping devises, dress and social structure within the community and families. Sharing with all peoples is the way of my people. Honor is foremost and announcing your family name gives those who receive you permission to decide if you are a good representative, if not, they know whom to contact. It is my intention to always honor my family and Tribe or suffer shame.”
Elaine is a historian, storyteller and cook. She does traditional cooking at different functions for her own tribe as well as other tribes. In addition, she teaches classes in Native American drum making, basketry and Native American cooking. In her storytelling she includes legends, creation, animal and lots of fish stories.
Class offering: Weaving the First Basket
Elaine Grinnell, her daughter Julie Grinnell and granddaughter Sarah Klostermeier will guide students in weaving baskets from reeds. Students will learn weaving, twining and perseverance while creating their baskets, and generosity of spirit and kindness while entranced by Elder Elaine’s stories and wisdom.
Class B – Natural Healing Medicines
Della Rice Sylvester (Cowichan First Nation)
Della Rice Sylvester is a First Nations’ Medicine woman and healer, cultural keeper, singer, ethnobotonist, & workshop trainer of the Cowichan peoples on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. At an early age, Della was trained on ethical uses and practices with plant relations from her aunties and grandmothers.Engaged deeply in traditional way of knowing, Della has vast knowledge of Pacific Northwest plants and their medicinal uses and is familiar with plant identification, stories associated with each, cultural protocols, how to make salves/medicine. Della is a dynamic presenter and infuses both Indigenous knowledge systems with western knowledge systems. Della has also been a guest speaker at the University of Washington and Bastyr University on issues related to Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
Class Offering: Natural Healing Medicines
Students will explore the Evergreen State College campus collecting plants, herbs and roots to make traditional healing medicines. Each student will make a healing salve and herbal bath bag for their personal use or as a gift to family or teachers.
Class C – Carving
James DeLaCruz, Jr. (Quinault), Shameka Gagnier (Cherokee Nation and Purhépechan)
My name is James DeLaCruz, Jr. I am an enrolled Quinault tribal member. My mom is from the Comenout family and Hudson family. My dad is from the Cultee family and the De La Cruz family. My Grandma Tillie was a basket weaver and my mom was a weaver as well.
I have done hundreds of carvings from ladles, paddles, masks, plaques, house poles, and totem poles. I did my apprenticeship with Pete Peterson, Sr. in carving, tool making and painting in 2001-2003. I worked with Randy Capoeman where we taught students on the concept of Northwest Coastal art shapes and formline. We taught paddle making and painting, along with drum making and bowl making. I also created and carved a 75 foot pole for the Quinault Tribe. It had a hollowed out back that was hand carved and shaped in three dimension and was painted. I worked on the project to carve 15 house poles for the Joe DeLaCruz Park in Taholah. I worked at the Evergreen State College to help carve the barge boards on the front of the Fiber Arts Studio. We worked with master carvers from New Zealand’s Maori tribe. It was a combined project between coastal Native carvers and the Maori carvers. You can also see my work at the Squaxin Island Museum, where I carved two welcome figures. I design my own artwork that is put on clothing and apparel, which is my side business.
Shameka Gagnier is a carver, musician, master gardener and healer. From the Cherokee Nation and of Purépechan ancestry, she carries the gifts of both Northern and Southern indigenous people. Of a recent recording and carving project that Shameka created, she wrote: “I have been living in the PNW for about 12 years. I have been singing all my life- I started out in the Pentecostal Holiness church in the Central Valley of California at age 3. My relationship with music and voice has always held gates of possibility open even when life is so painful and hopeless. It’s a way to hold all the complexity and intersections, it’s a way to be completely engaged and embodied when everything in life tells you to shut down. I am also a visual artist, a woodcarver. Most of my life I have felt that I needed to choose one place to direct my attention, any always felt torn between music, art, and healing. Through the process of writing this album I finally know that woodcarving and music are different entry points for the same thing!”
Class offering: Carving as Gift
Cedar is the great gift giver of the Northwest Coast. Native people have used cedar since time immemorial for our homes, clothes, baskets, hats and canoes. The stories teach us of the gifts cedar brings and how to honor those gifts. We will work in cedar, creating small carvings, and also make prints from carved linoleum to share with others as gifts.
Class D – Dance and Drum: Journey through Time
Jefferson Greene (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs)
I am a cultural artist born and raised on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. My relatives and my culture have groomed me for sharing much of my life experiences, learnings, understandings and adventures with communities throughout the Northwest region. I’m deeply involved in my ancient Columbia Plateau culture, its ceremonies and practices, I also thrive in the modern world.
My culture is based on generosity. We’ve been put here on this earth to share and gift and prepare for the next giving. I teach language, legends, song, dance and dance group, weaving, acrylic painting, and necklace/bracelet/earring making. After completing my Bachelor of Science Degree in three disciplines, Management, Marketing, and Advertising, I began serving the Confederated Tribes and people of Warm Springs coordinating Community Projects, writing grants, producing Arts and Entertainment, and being a Public Educator on Columbia Plateau History and Customs. Most recently, my interests have brought me into Columbia Plateau Language Preservation. I am apprenticing under several first Language Ichishkíin Speakers from Warm Springs, Yakama and Umatilla.
Class Offering: Dance and Drum: Journey through Time
The world began many years ago with a heart-beat that sounded through the heavens, skies, and universe, accompanied with a consistent tone and rhythm, transcending through time to today, a rhythm that has never stopped, nurturing life year after year, a rhythm today we can learn from and share, a rhythm within us all, a rhythm of balance, harmony, and melody, a song, a song to learn, a song to sing, a song to hear and feel. This class journeys thru time with personal experience, rhythm, and tone to balance us, through song, story, and dance.
Class E – Mural Painting
Toma Villa (Yakama Nation)
I was born in Oklahoma raised in Portland and am a registered member of Yakama Nation. I am continually sharpening my artistic talent that had begun at a young age, but feel that I can learn from anyone who wants to teach me, even young kids. Drawing inspiration from my culture and heritage, art has transformed my sense of identity. With a passion for mediums in airbrushing, printmaking, sculpture and iron casting, I truly feel connected with each piece produced.
The roots of my art have always been graffiti art. I get a lot of my inspiration from various places, from cities I have traveled to and paintings I have seen such as Salvador Dali’s work in a museum or Saber’s murals on the streets. A lot of my work is inspired by my passion for the river and my time fishing the Columbia River with my family out of Cooks Landing. I use my experiences as a fisherman and have encapsulated them in my work. I feel that one can never dream too big and I always look forward to the future. Some things may seem impossible, but if one makes a plan you will succeed at what you want out of life. I believe the world is so big yet so small and I wish to see it all.
Class Offering: Mural Painting
Welcome to Toma’s mural class. We will be learning the basics of painting, color theory and how to put a mural together. In our sessions we will learn how to interact with each other by sharing ideas and making our concepts come to life within a given space.
Class F – Indigenous Filmmaking
Jackie Johnson (Makah)
Jackie Johnson is a member of the Makah Tribe. She graduated from the University of Washington with a Master of Communication with a concentration in Indigenous Documentary Film. At the University she a recipient of the Māhina International Indigenous Health Research Training Program and the Bonderman Travel Fellowship. In addition to Ms. Johnson studies, she has a background in Indigenous health research, early childhood education, drug-prevention programming, digital storytelling, and empowering Native youth. Jackie Johnson lives on the Olympic Peninsula here in Washington and serves as a Communications Specialist for Washington State University’s Partnerships for Native Health and a Webmaster for the University of Washington’s Olympic Natural Resource Center.
Course Offering: Indigenous Filmmaking
Filmmaking can weave in multiple artistic mediums, time periods, locations, reflections and perspectives all into one. Students will have the opportunity to explore how they can create their vision and perspective of traditional and contemporary stories to the screen. We’ll work with iPods, gimbals and “real” film cameras, lights, mikes and other technology. The most important story is our own and how we tell it.
| Native Voices Arts Academy (for middle school teachers and specialists) Infusing Arts and Culture into Since Time Immemorial Curriculum: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA Sponsored by the Title I Part C Migrant Education Program in coordination with the Office of Native Education and the Arts Program at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. For more information and to register contact Erika Warren, Program Coordinator, [email protected], (360) 529-7327. |
