Though LSU has classes for the study of women, blacks and internationals, there are no courses dedicated to the study of Native Americans.
And Nick Ng-A-Fook, an education doctoral student, wants to change that.
In an effort to educate University students about Native American life in Louisiana, Ng-A-Fook organized Wednesday’s workshop, entitled “Teaching American Indian Education from Louisiana’s Bayous.”
The workshop was part of November’s celebration of Native American Awareness Month and was cosponsored by the University’s Native American Student Association.
Geared toward the University’s education students, the workshop featured members of the United Houma Nation, a tribe located in South Louisiana.
“It’s important for these future teachers to understand cultural diversity,” Ng-A-Fook said. “In their classrooms, they need to validate cultural diversity in order to validate the self-worth of their students.”
As part of the effort to enlighten students, Brenda Dardar-Robichaux, Principal Chief in the United Houma Tribe, showed them bead work, Native American dance steps and Houma Tribe methods of basket weaving.
University students were not the only ones to benefit from the knowledge. Fifty University Lab School kindergarten students attended the afternoon sessions.
They “oohed” and “ahhed” as Dardar-Robichaux showed them her beaded barrettes, dancing moccasins and brushes. She even showed students a beaded Nike cap.
As Dardar-Robichaux taught the kindergartners about Native American heritage, University students observed.
“It’s important for them to know how to teach students about indigenous peoples in the community,” Ng-A-Fook said.
Dardar-Robichaux led the young students in traditional dance and showed them her dance garb.
She explained that when women attend a pow wow, they must cover their clothes with a shawl if they are wearing everyday clothes like pants and jeans.
“We cover ourselves as a sign of respect for what happens in the dance circle,” she said.
The dance circle is spiritual, said Jamie Billiot, Native American Student Association president.
“We usually start the dance off with a prayer,” she said.
Billiot said many students think Native Americans are pagan and worship nature. But Billiot is Catholic and so are many others in her tribe, she said.
Dardar-Robichaux told students, “We listen to the drumbeat and can feel it in our heart and in our spirits.”
As her son, Josh Pitre, beat a dance rhythm on a rawhide drum, Dardar-Robichaux led the kindergarten students in a dance.
Young girls and boys struggled to keep rhythm as they followed her in a circle.
Billiot said the dancing that takes place at a pow wow is normal for her and her Native American friends.
“It’s just like a social gathering,” she said. “It’s a normal thing we do to have fun.”
After the dancing, University students learned about basket weaving in the United Houma Tribe.
They struggled to complete a single crowfoot weave from dried Palmetto plants.
Members of the Houma Tribe make the baskets for various purposes, Dardar-Robichaux said. She told students her collection basket at the church she attended as a young girl was the special basket weave of the Houma tribe called a half-hitch-coil.
As the students around the room began to follow Dardar-Robichaux’s instructions, Erin Esneault, an elementary education sophomore, became frustrated with her progress and asked for help several times.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said with a laugh. “[Dardar-Robichaux] helped me with the whole thing.”
Michael Dardar, United Houma Nation historian, taught students about the rich cultural heritage of Indians from that tribe.
Billiot, an education major, said, “A lot of education students just don’t know about Native Americans in this area. When they’re going to be teaching in public schools, it’s just important to know these things.”
For Ng-A-Fook, the goal of the workshop was accomplished.
“LSU claims to be a flagship university, yet we don’t have an educational program about Native American culture,” he said. “I hope this can open the door to changing that.”
Ng-A-Fook’s research at the University has been about the United Houma Nation, which he said is very important to him. He spends a large amount of time learning about a community that is different from his. Ng-A-Fook is Canadian and not a member of any tribe.
But Billiot called Ng-A-Fook “an adopted child” of the United Houma Nation.
“I hope that students can learn about the United Houma Nation,” Ng-A-Fook said. “I hope they learn about the culture of the community that is all around them.”