Dear Siskiyou School Parents,
Today we had a most wonderful Indigenous Peoples' Day assembly, in the morning sun, with frost showing on the rooftops. We'd wanted to hold it yesterday of course, but the weather was uncertain. Today was perfect, as described in the para below. In general, all seems well on campus. While the mornings have been chilly, the children are happy to arrive each day, to be together and learn and play. The teachers look forward to meeting with you later this week in conferences and sharing their observations and hearing from you as well about our most important people, your children. We look forward to seeing you on campus on Thursday and Friday; we will resume school next Tuesday, October 19th, with the excitement of the 8th grade play and Halloween right around the corner.
Our Indigenous Peoples’ Day Assembly
This morning classes 1-8 gathered in a circle on the chips to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples' Day. Ms. Tisdel spoke first, as each class listened, sitting on their tarps in the chilly but clear morning. She reminded the children that the land on which we were sitting was once just fields and grasses and the homeland of original peoples – the Takelma, Latgawa, and Siletz Tribes – who have lived here in this valley for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. She said that yesterday was the first time in the 400 years since the Europeans came that, as a nation, we officially honored those inhabitants who were here before us and live in this valley to this day. She asked if the children had heard of Chief Seattle and told them that when he was asked about his culture (as it was so different from the European way), he said that his people knew that we are all connected: the trees, animals, water, sky, rocks, insects… all of us. And that, we as people, are not the center of this web of life, but merely a strand. What we do to any part of the web, we do to ourselves. Ms. Tisdel finished by reminding us that these teachings are so very important for these times we live in today.
Then, Tish McFadden came up to share a song with us and talk briefly about Grandmother Aggie, the Takelma tribe’s oldest woman elder who died in November 2019. Tish knew Grandmother Aggie for 40 years and collaborated quite closely with her in the last years of her life. She told the children that Grandma Aggie’s native name was Taowhywee, meaning Morning Star, and that indeed Grandmother had lived up to that rising. Tish led us all in a song whose refrain goes like this:
Pass these words of the wise ones on
From voice to voice, from dawn to dawn
Pass these words of the wise ones on
The song is part of a comprehensive project that Tish worked on for five years, inspired by Grandma Aggie’s teachings. The project is called Upriver to Morning, and the 4th grade recently heard the story as part of their Native American studies. Tish ended by saying that the three things Grandmother Aggie said were most important to remember were… saying thank you to water every day, reciprocity, and learning from our ancestors how to take care of Mother Earth. Water is our first medicine, and it’s important to know how to give back and return a favor and to protect the natural balance of all life.
It was wonderful to be able to be together as a school this morning to share this special moment of acknowledgment to the indigenous people of this land. As always, these assemblies are what we could call "felt" moments, living lessons; while we can convey something of the words spoken, surely the children will mostly be left with how it felt to hear the words and the feeling with which the words were spoken. Deep thanks to both Ms.Tisdel and Tish McFadden for their holding of that moment.
Have a wonderful week, Aurilia
