Happy Women's History Month! - Native Spotlight

Native Student Programs Newsletter
                                              March 2021

Remember, we are available for student support on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 to 2pm, or by
appointment. We encourage you to visit our webpage for Native Education resources and information
HERE. Please feel free to reach out with ideas for our newsletter, your input is welcome. Our contact
information is at the bottom of the newsletter. Enjoy!

                           Happy Women’s History Month!
                                     Native Spotlight
                     Zitkala-Sa (February 22, 1876 – January 26,1938) Zitkala-Sa
                    means Red Bird in her native language of Yankton Dakota Sioux. She was
                    a writer, educator, editor, translator, musician, composer, and a political
                    activist. She fought for women’s suffrage (the right to vote), especially
                    Native American women. Her father was European American and was
                    absent in her upbringing and adult life. Her mother, who was Yankton
                    Dakota Sioux, raised her on the reservation in South Dakota. Zitkala-Sa
                    attended the Carlisle Indian Boarding School and later taught there, she left
                    due to the harsh conditions and spent her life shedding light on the
                    disparities in Indian country. She also attended Earlham College, she was
                    musically gifted and wrote the first Native American opera called The Sun
Dance Opera. She wrote many books about being pulled between two cultures, her traditional
Native culture she was brought up with and the mainstream American culture that was forced on
her (and many others) at the boarding school. Learn more about this amazing Native women by
watching the YouTube video HERE

                      Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin),
                   Representative Davids was raised by a single mother, who served in the
                   Army for 20 years. After graduating from Leavenworth High School, she
                   worked her way through Johnson County Community College and the
                   University of Missouri-Kansas City before earning a law degree from
                   Cornell Law School. As a first generation college student who worked the
                   entire time she was in college, Rep. Davids understands the importance of
                   quality public schools and affordable higher education. It is that foundation
                   that allowed her to go on to a successful career, focused on economic and
                   community development, which included time as a White House Fellow
                   under President Barack Obama. She is one of the first two Native
American women to serve in Congress. Finish reading this article about Rep. Davids HERE.

Read more about Native American suffragettes HERE.

                                                                                                    1

In the News
Did you know? Deb Haaland was officially sworn in as the Secretary of the Interior on March 18,
2021 by the first female Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Secretary Haaland was
wearing a traditional ribbon skirt made by Agnes Woodward (Kawacatoose First Nation). Watch the
historical event HERE.

                   Traditional Food, Plants and Medicines

HERE is a list of traditional Native foods from the Pacific Northwest.

Maple roasted delicata squash recipe HERE. You can use butternut squash or another squash, too.

Native recipes including nettle pesto and nettle squash soup HERE.

How to make nettle tea in the Muckleshoot language (with English subtitles) video HERE.

Need to relax? Watch this meditation video in the Muckleshoot language HERE.

                                    College and Career
   ❖ Clover Park Technical College virtual Expo April 28th from 3-5pm
     https://www.cptc.edu/expo
   ❖ University of Washington Native American Student Day April 2nd from 2-5pm
     http://depts.washington.edu/reach/events-and-programs/spring-events/nasd/
   ❖ Muckleshoot Tribal College http://muckleshoothighered.org/
   ❖ Northwest Indian College https://www.nwic.edu/
   ❖ Evergreen State College Native Pathways Program
     https://www.evergreen.edu/nativepathways/native-pathways-program
   ❖ Evergreen State College Native Studies https://www.evergreen.edu/studies/native-
     american-studies
   ❖ Evergreen State College Native American and Indigenous programs
     https://www.evergreen.edu/studies/path/native-american-and-indigenous-programs
   ❖ Highline College https://www.highline.edu/
   ❖ Pierce College https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/
   ❖ Native Scholarships (bottom of page)
     https://cowlitz.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=39&It
     emid=181

                                                                                                     2

NOMINATE A TEACHER
It’s not too late! If you have or know a teacher who has been a huge advocate for Native students,
Native history, Native culture, and/or our Native Program, let us know so we can include them in our
newsletter. We will recognize their hard work and dedication for our Native youth and community. Our
contact info is below.

Contact Us:

Jerad Koepp, MiT, Wukchumni, Native Student Program Specialist
jkoepp@nthurston.k12.wa.us

Laura Bowman, Cowlitz, Title III Native American Program
lbowman@nthurston.k12.wa.us

  We acknowledge that North Thurston Public Schools resides on the traditional lands of the Nisqually
people. The Nisqually have lived on and cared for this land and these waterways since time immemorial.
 We make this acknowledgment to open a space of recognition, inclusion, and respect for our sovereign
           tribal partners and all indigenous students, families, and staff in our community.

                                                                                                       3