Annual expo helps guide students toward higher education opportunities
Sarah Cummins
2/27/2002 12:00:00 AM
Extending an annual education exposition resulted in even more workshops than previous years and included two inspirational speakers.
Career Expo 2002, sponsored by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, took place Feb. 14 and 15 at the Mt. Pleasant Holiday Inn and had over 200 participants. Native American students from high schools and junior highs across Michigan attended the eighth annual event.
"I think it's great that this targets younger students as well to get them interested in furthering their educations," stated Barbara Herter, R.N., who attended with other representatives from Detroit Indian Education. "Nowadays, you can't survive without a college education. It doesn't make you a better person, but you need to have two incomes to get by." Herter (Mohawk) attended last year's expo as well and said she highly recommends the event.
The event's theme, "Keeping Traditions Alive as We Continue to Change and Grow as Anishinaabe People," was reflected in the choice of presenters who had both contemporary and traditional topics.
Presenters included, Mide Megwun (Ojibwe, Midewiwin Society) with Traditional Values and Healthy Lifestyles, Helen Roy (Wikwemikong Odawa, Deer Clan) with Language Preservation, Stanley Peltier (Wikwemikong Odawa, Deer Clan) with Traditional Herbs and Medicines, Ben Hinmon (Saginaw Chippewa, Bear Clan) with Cultural Preservation, George Martin (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe, Midewiwin Society) with Sacred Colors and Directions, Billy Rogers (Kiowa) with Peer Pressure; Kateri Walker (Saginaw Chippewa) with Native Americans in the Arts and Al Zantua (Tsimpshian/Haida, South Eastern Alaskan Natives) with Northwest Culture.
"There is a really good blend here of traditional Native presenters and speakers and those who can walk in both worlds," stated Rogers as he delivered the Feb. 14 keynote address.
Several of the student participants said they wanted to learn about colleges and Universities they might attend, but they also wanted to gain more cultural knowledge.
"I want to go to college at Central Michigan University or Ferris State University," said Chippewa Hills 10th grader Mandy Jackson (Saginaw Chippewa). "I also want to learn more about the Tribe."
Several of the presenters emphasized the importance of having a firm cultural background before pursuing a career in mainstream society.
"People think you have to be one way or the other," stated Walker during a Feb. 14 presentation. "You're bridges. You can have it all. Why not take the best of both worlds?"
Harmony Hinmon (Saginaw Chippewa) said she attended the expo for cultural and career aspects. During the dance exhibition on Feb. 14, she traditional danced for the first time.
"I don't know what I want to do when I graduate," stated Hinmon, 15. "I think I want to go to Michigan State University, but I'm not sure what major.
"I'm really nervous about dancing today. I guess depending on how today goes, I might dance tomorrow too." She did dance at Friday's exhibition as well.
In previous years, the students were assigned colors and groups to determine which workshops they should attend. This year, the youth were allowed to choose for themselves.
"We went to see Kateri's presentation," stated Chris Abella, a 13-year-old student at Pine Academy in Grand Rapids. "She's cool." Abella hopes to attend Grand Valley State University in order to become an electrician.
His schoolmate Alex Quintino (Three Fires) also plans to go to Grand Valley State University. However, he plans to study art.
"I'm going to live in a big mansion and get all the women," he said.
One topic of Rogers keynote address focused on feeling successful.
"There are many ways to measure success," he stated. "It's important to relate that to our young people."
He also explained that young people react to how their role models behave.
"Some of these young people will grow up to be leaders," Rogers said. "Some of these young ones will grow up to be drunks. Do you see your behavior? Are we behaving in a responsible manner which would make our relatives proud to watch us?"
As part of the theme of the expo, the Seven Teachings were incorporated into many aspects of the event and printed on the expo brochures.
"In keeping with the Seven Teachings, I would ask that you add one more-generosity," said Rogers. "To be Native is to be generous, and the ultimate act of generosity is to give all of yourself to these children. Clear the path for them to follow. Some of them will fall off the path, and we will be there to pick them up and, sometimes, carry them."
Dr. Lloyd Elm, the keynote speaker for Feb. 15 luncheon, said he was a student who sometimes fell off the right path. In fact, he holds the record for breaking the most windows at the Onondaga Bureau of Indian Affairs School he attended as a child.
"When I was in third grade, I overheard my teacher tell the fourth grade teacher, �You're going to get him, because I don't want him,'" said Elm (Onondaga/Oneida). "The teachers voted me the least likely to succeed. Eventually, I went back to that school and became principal."
As a grown-up, Elm said when he fell off the path and became an alcoholic, it was his Onondaga grandfather's words that helped to set him right again.
"He said to me, �Where did you see that behavior, because you never saw if from me, and you told me I was your most important teacher,'" Elm related his grandfather's words.
Elm, who has dedicated his life to Native American education, explained that there are three parts to every person-the physical, the mental and the spiritual.
"The physical part, you have to take care of; the mental part, school will take care of and the spiritual part, we have to take care of," he said. "We must nourish those three parts.
"I used to think before I was 30 that I was a human being having a spiritual experience. Now, I know I'm a spiritual being having a human experience. We come here to experience whatever we have to experience in this life. In this life, it is very important to get an education."