Roxanne D. Mills Brown, director of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Education Department, and Indian Education Coordinator Gertrude (Kitty) Hendricks-Miller announced a series of programs and services provided by the department through the Indian Education Formula Grant last month at a virtual public hearing.
The virtual public hearing was held on March 15 and highlighted an opportunity for parents and teachers in Barnstable, Bourne, Falmouth, New Bedford, Sandwich and Wareham to receive information and give feedback.
The programs funded by the grant are intended to meet the unique cultural, linguistic and educational needs of Native American students and ensure that all students meet the challenging state academic standards, Ms. Mills Brown said. These programs are the department’s main vehicle for addressing the particular needs of native children.
“The educational programming is designed to support the academic achievement of native students, all while tending to their cultural identity and providing them standing to move forward in their education,” Ms. Mills Brown said.
The grant is also for non-native community members and educators to understand “who we are as native people,” Ms. Mills Brown said. The first tier of programming provides programs directly to native students, while the second tier aims to incorporate these teachings among non-native students, educators and community partners.
Performance-based programs run by Native American educators, artists, singers, dancers and musicians are offered for all grade levels. Cultural-based programming includes presentations across the different school districts where students can learn about the daily and cultural lives of the Wampanoag people.
“I visit each classroom, mostly 2nd and 3rd grades, with artifacts,” Ms. Hendricks-Miller said. “We talk about history, life today and being stewards of the earth. And also, if there are native students in the classrooms, I will have them help and make them feel proud to be a Wampanoag amongst their peers.”
Ms. Hendricks-Miller said she participates in existing after-school programs specifically with the Falmouth Cultural Community after-school program. Student academic support and parent advocacy are also offered as programs.
Tutoring is provided through retired teachers, college students and tutoring services for students in kindergarten to grade 12 as well as for those wanting to obtain their GED. An advocacy specialist is also contracted through the department to help parents work through any red tape they may encounter with their child’s education, Ms. Hendricks-Miller said.
For camp options, the Preserving Our Homelands Native Youth in Science Camp will run in July. The camp is offered for four weeks, three days a week, to students in grades 5 through 8 to enrich their understanding of science through Native elders alongside local science organizations. The department also offers two seasonal camps that coincide with school districts’ February and April school vacations.
Other special events and programs held by the department include Honoring Our Herring Day, regalia making, Wampanoag family language courses and Wampanoag Cultural Education Day.
By Mackenzie Ryan, Mashpee Enterprise
