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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-04-28, Page 25Crossroads Exeter Times Advocate Wednesday, April 28, 2004 25 Local students learn Native history and culture By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF STEPHEN — Shannon Thunderbird is spreading the word about her Native Canadian culture. Thunderbird, a member of the Tsimshian tribe in northern British Columbia, has been visit- ing schools for the last seven years educating stu- dents about Native culture in this country. Using songs and stories both humorous and serious, Thunderbird uses fun to get her message across. On April 28 at Stephen Central School, Thunderbird spoke to Grade 6 students from Stephen and Usborne Central. She also spoke to Exeter Public School stu- dents earlier in the day. One of the things she explained to the students was why Canada's Natives don't like being called Indians. "I'm not an Indian," Thunderbird said, telling the students that Christopher Columbus mistakenly thought he was in India when he landed in Haiti. "Columbus never set foot in North America," she said. "He had a really lousy sense of direction." "Indigenous," "First Nations," "First People," "The People" and "Natives" are all names acceptable to Thunderbird. She doesn't like the word "Aboriginal," because it isn't accurate. One of Thunderbird's messages was the respect humans should show for Shannon Thunderbird visited the area last week, educating local students about her Native culture.Above she demonstrates Native rhythms for Stephen and Usborne Central Grade 6 students. (photo/Scott Nixon) animals. "We're in their territo- ry," she said. Thunderbird brought wolf, fox and beaver furs to show the students. The animals had been killed by vehicles a n d Thunderbird said their furs had been saved to honour them. "We're the takers, not the givers," Thunderbird said of humans. Natives have learned from animals, Thunderbird said. Seeing that wolves are a family- oriented animal who trav- el in packs and raise their own children, Natives adopt- ed a similar model. "The chil- dren were the most impor- "Stories were passed down word for word, They never changed for thousands of years." SHANNON THUNDERBIRD tart part of A MEMBER OF THE the tribe," she TsIMSHIAN TRIBE said, explain - IN NORTHERN ing that all adults in a BRmsH COLUMBIA, tribe help take care of all the children. Natives learned Usborne Central students Jessica Brock, left, and Crystal Kirk play the Native drums during a presentation at Stephen Central School last week. (photo/Scott Nixon) from the fox to walk qui- etly through the woods and they learned their focus and hard-working nature from the beaver. Thunderbird explained the Native history is one passed down through sto- rytelling. Before the Europeans arrived in North American, Natives didn't have a written lan- guage. "Stories were passed down word for word," Thunderbird said. "They never changed for thou- sands of years." Thunderbird's talk also hit a serious tone when she spoke about her grandmother who, like 150,000 other Native chil- dren, was taken from her family by the government, placed in a "residential" school and forced to drop their Native culture and language and act like Europeans. As a result, Thunderbird's mother didn't know how to speak her Native language and Thunderbird is learning now. "Our entire culture was outlawed," she said, com- plimenting the students and their teachers for being knowledgeable and open minded about her Native culture. "You're very special people," she said. Thunderbird also brought several drums which she explained are not percussion instru- ments to Native people, but instead represent the heartbeat of Mother Earth. To Natives, the drum is their connection to the Earth. The drums, made out of the hide of deer, cows, horses or goats, are sacred to the Natives. Thunderbird taught the students how to play some Native rhythms on the drums. Thunderbird has been performing all her life and is now based out of King City, north of Toronto. She has her own educational Web site, shannonthun- derbird.com, which she said she started because she wanted to correct a lot of the erroneous infor- mation about Natives on the Internet. She travels all over Canada educating children and said their knowledge on Natives varies. Some students know nothing, while she said the students she spoke to at Stephen Central knew more about Native culture than many schools she's been to. For that she credited the teachers. Thunderbird also has released a new CD called "May Your Spirit Be Strong," a compilation of traditional and contempo- rary blues and jazz tunes. Her visit was made pos- sible by the Foundation For Enrichment of Education. Norm Whiting auc- tions off a painting at the South Huron Hospital Auxiliary Rummage Sale and Auction April 22.The event raised just over $9,000. (photolMary Simmons)