Photo Karen Graham.
Trent University graduates and Indigenous leaders share their culture in a series of workshops for young students at Millbrook South Cavan School.
Last month, each grade one to three class at Millbrook South Cavan School were treated to two sessions of Indigenous dance workshops delivered by two graduates of Trent University’s School of Education and Professional Learning. Members of the Haudenosaunee, or “people of the longhouse,” more commonly referred to as Iroquois or Six Nations, are members of a confederacy of Aboriginal nations known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Both are trained teachers, something that was quite apparent in the interaction with the children. Jessica Parks is more specifically a member of the Mohawk Nation while Stanley “Bobby” Henry is from the Cayuga nation, one of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.
Students joined their instructors in the school gymnasium, where they heard the stories behind four Haudenosaunee social dances and then learned their steps. The instructors moved to the accompanying percussive beats and students followed the steps demonstrated by the leaders. Each dance reflected indigenous philosophy which perhaps was not fully appreciated by the young audience. In the Circle Dance, participants formed a circle which ultimately moved in both directions. The patient instructors explained that the reversing directions represented bad and good experiences, suggesting that both were inevitable and even desirable parts of life and the dance acknowledged them both.
A more complex dance followed, called the Alligator Dance. Given that alligators are not found locally, the instructor explained why the dance was significant to the Haudenosaunee nation. The dance was developed to honour the relationship between the local indigenous groups and the Seminole nation based in Florida. Many years ago, the Seminole people sought help from the local indigenous community who were happy to deliver, cementing a lasting relationship stretching across the continent. Bobby explained the strong bond between indigenous people due to similarities in their cultures, and physical distance appears to be a barrier easily overcome, even in the past, by this common desire to connect.
Dancing in pairs, students learned that the alligator propels itself through water using its tail to propel its body. To make progress, both parts of the body are required to work together. Students soon learn to anticipate changing dance moves by hearing changes in the accompanying music.
The objective of these workshops is to develop a better appreciation of the history of the area and a respect for local first nations. In one class, the lesson was more personal for two of the 16 students who self-identify as aboriginal. Donning a hair clip bearing a feather and moccasins, one young girl seemed particularly proud to participate in a celebration of her heritage.
Regardless of their background, all students enjoyed the opportunity to learn new moves together, as well as a few words in Mohawk- “See you later” and “Thank you”, terms that are helpful in any language. KG
