Opinion

James Cadwell: Let's break the cycle and honor Native graduates

Monday, June 8, 2015

An honor song was performed after the graduation ceremony at Chamberlain High School in South Dakota in May 2014. Still image from YouTube

James Cadwell, a member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, is still working to get the Chamberlain School District in South Dakota to allow an honor song for high school graduates:

As the last names of this year’s graduates were announced in Chamberlain you could hear the drum group singers gain strength with this year's honor song. While the song still remains outside this boarder town gymnasium the singing of the song is slowly becoming the norm.
As a white parent scrambles by for a last minute seat she leans into me and whispers into my ear don't worry Jim "we" are slowly wearing "them" down. "We" will be inside singing next year. It would appear that the language of "us and them"is having a slow death in Chamberlain and being replaced by "we". For some it is happening to slow and for yet others it is too fast. The reality is that it is happening with or without the help of the all white school board at Chamberlain. Nearly 50 percent of this year graduates carry names that are identifiably native. Nearly seven years ago I made a prediction to the superintendent and the all white school board that in the next 10 years this will be our school as I referenced the dramatically changing student population. Not unlike other reservation boarder towns Chamberlain is losing its white student base as young families move away, filling that base is our Native population.
As I watched the discussion Sunday with students, parents, school board members and superintendent Johnson about this years graduates choice of cap decorations I can't help but remind myself that in one short time span between school and graduation we expect the students to transform into responsible adults even though only days ago we required them to ask permission to go to the bathroom.
It is very apparent change for some in the community is difficult. The once-present Eagle staff that was placed on the stage to acknowledge Native participation during graduation has been removed. The drum that was placed on the stage several years ago to be used to sing an Honor song during graduation, is gone. The school board changed this at the very last minute and has refused to allow this traditional Lakota/Dakota recognition since.

Get the Story:
James Cadwell: Break the Cycle for the Children (Indian Country Today 6/8)