Native tradition showcased at Havre High

The Havre High School gymnasium was bursting as much with traditional American Indian culture as it was with students Tuesday as students from Havre High and sixth-graders from Havre Middle School filled the bleachers to witness an instructional powwow.

"We just wanted to do something for Native American Indian Heritage Month," said Mike Haugen, principal at Havre High, "so we just thought this was a way to educate our students on Native American culture."

Though Havre High School has hosted powwows before, it has not for several years.

Haugen said that the powwow was organized by Emory Champagne, an advisor to the high school's Culture Club, and retired Havre High history teacher Jim Magera.

Haugen estimated that between 10 and 15 dancers were present, as were two drum groups, Parker School from Rocky Boy and Good Medicine, a student group from Havre, providing the music.

Russell Standing Rock, an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe from Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, was the master of ceremonies.

"We are going to try to express who we are, how we are, what it is and many of our ways of life here this afternoon," Standing Rock said to the audience near the beginning of the hour-and-a-half long celebration.

Standing Rock said masters of ceremonies at powwows usually refer to audience members as ladies and gentlemen, but in  a break with tradition he referred to them as Blue Ponies, a nod to Havre's mascot.

After a brief introduction by Standing Rock, Ed Long Knife, a member of the Gros Ventre Assiniboine and a criminal investigator with the Rocky Boy Police Department, gave some opening remarks and a prayer.

Then the grand entry took place headed by Eagle Staff carrier Ronald Windy Boy. Four other veterans in military uniform carrying the Rocky Boy, Montana and American flags followed. Dancers with feathers and bright traditional regalia then entered along with Native students in contemporary attire as the sound of drums thundered throughout the gym.

The people in the grand entry then walked in a circle in the area prepared for the powwow.

Dancers throughout the powwow performed several dances. Male dancers did the traditional, grass, fancy and chicken dances. Females performed the traditional, fancy shawl and jingle dances.

Each dance was preceded by commentary from Standing Rock about the history and cultural significance of those dances.

"Today, it gives me a good feeling to see our Native youth, It gives me a good feeling to see our non-Indian youth, look  at our heritage," Standing Rock said.

State Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, who has long been a proponent of Indian education spoke about Indian education and keeping culture alive.

He said that if Missoula schools could have Spanish language courses, Havre and other districts should be able to have tribal language courses.

The celebration then concluded with blankets and sweetgrass being presented to several individuals and a friendship dance, where students, both Native and non-Native, took to the floor, formed a circle and held hands for a friendship dance.