The Bailey Hill area of west Eugene resonated Saturday with the pounding of a rawhide drum and Native American singing. It was from a “back to school” pow-wow organized by the 4J School District’s NATIVES program.
Under a series of wide tents, dancers and drummers clad in feathered and beaded regalia gathered to mark the beginning of the new school year. Nearby, vendors sold food and jewelry.
The event was to honor Native students and the role of education in empowering tribal communities.
Becky White is the equity manager for the 4J NATIVES program, and is of Cherokee, Cheyenne, and Arapaho heritage. She told KLCC that altogether, about 600 people attended the event which is the first pow-wow the program’s held as a back-to-school event, and also one of the first pow-wows organized for the local community in several years.
White added that she’s excited for the school year ahead.
“We’re going to have artists of all different disciplines,” said White. “Culinary arts, performing arts, and fine arts. And teach our students what they do and how they got to where they are. Because we really want our students to understand that nothing is out of their reach.”
Native professionals in other fields will be invited, to round out the possibilities students can explore.
White says there’s plans to do another pow-wow in the spring, with more drums and dancers in an inside space.
Roughly 1% of students in the 4J school district are Native American. 2019 data from the Oregon Dept. of Education shows a four-year graduation rate of 69% for Native students, which is up from 53.5% a decade earlier.
Educators say providing support and cultural programming for students from underrepresented communities improves educational outcomes, and builds a sense of belonging.
