"Just because you live away from your people, does not mean that you can’t be connected to them and your culture that people tried to strip away from you countless times." -- Meadow Contreras
|
|
Native American Heritage Month 2021 Student Submissions |
|
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month this November, our students shared celebrations of their Native and Indigenous cultures. Learn more about how students learned about, connected with, interpreted and celebrated Native American Heritage Month below and here.
Want to learn more about Native American Heritage Month and access resources that you can use in the classroom? Visit the Cultural Moments page on The Commons. |
|
Meadow Contreras | Sicangu Lakota Tribe, Denver South High School
"My name is Meadow Contreras and I am Sicangu Lakota and Chicana. I live in a Jewish suburban neighborhood. My family and I were always the only brown people anywhere we went. But we were never treated badly because of it. In fact, we were put on a pedestal because everyone loved our culture. And because we were commonly isolated from people who are also Native, my parents made sure we knew who we are and the purpose of our traditions. My mom was born and raised in the Rosebud reservation in a little community called Okreek. My dad lived in the same place for some time with his dad. My parents went to school together but didn’t start talking until they were both in Denver. My mom mainly moved away because she wanted her kids to have a better experience growing up with more opportunities and brighter future options. She moved away from everything she knew before she was an adult to make sure she made a difference for us."
Read Meadow's full submission here.
|
|
Andrue Davis | Sicangu Lakota Tribe, John F. Kennedy High School
"My grandma, she [plays] a big role in my culture. She makes fry bread and beads necklaces and smudges. My grandma is the culture in my family – she takes us to powwows and marches and any activity to support our Indigenous people so everything I know I really owe to her."
|
|
Jayde Tinker | Osage Tribe, American Indian Academy of Denver
"I felt really good after finishing my ribbon skirt and shawl. It was very enjoyable to create something I will use that is important not only to me but lots of people. I have had some hard times while making all the stitching and cutting of fabric but it was still a great memory I will keep for a long time. I have to thank my mom for getting me to the Indian Center every Thursday. Also thank you to Erlidawn for getting me into sewing and helping me learn to sew, I think it’s a great skill to have!"
|
|
Mia and Amari Archambault | Standing Rock (Lakota/Dakota) Tribe, Denver North High School
"We are sisters from the Lakota/Dakota, Hunkpapa nation and enrolled in the Standing Rock tribe. Mia Archambault, 16 years old and Amari Archambault, 18 years old. We are Jingle Dress dancers and fell in love with this type of dancing when we were young children. The Jingle dress dance is known as the Medicine dance because it was created by the Ojibwe people approximately 100 years ago following the flu pandemic.
The story of the Jingle Dress dance is told about a medicine man having a dream about four women jingling dancing. His granddaughter was very ill and after this dream, his granddaughter gained the strength to dance and created a jingle dress to cure her sickness.
Our grandma made our dresses and that’s when our journey for dancing began. We went to powwows and watched other women, including our older sisters Jingle dancing and watched their footsteps. We would dance behind them and slowly begin to dance ourselves. Today many women continue this tradition and dance at pow wows. They dance for the people, families, ancestors and for the love and fulfillment this dance brings to us."
|
|
Our DPS Equity Statement
Racial and Educational Equity is our collective responsibility. We will achieve equity when we dismantle deeply rooted systems of oppression that have historically resulted in inequitable access and distribution of opportunities and resources for those who represent marginalized identities, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, language and ability. We will create conditions where we all belong, are included, have clear purpose (why) and have the autonomy to lead in our respective areas. By creating these conditions, we will eliminate the predictability of success or failure for our students and team members.
|
|
|
|
Each month, we'll showcase celebrations big and small, and the work being done to create more equity for students and team members throughout DPS. Share what you and your team have been doing to make a change for a more equitable DPS here.
|
|
DPS Develops Updated Land Acknowledgement |
A Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples' relationship with their traditional territories. Dr. Tink Tinker -- a long-time member of the Denver Metro Native American community -- collaborated with DPS' Native American Culture and Education and Academics teams to write this Land Acknowledgment for DPS:
"Recognizing DPS commitments to “Know Justice, Know Peace,” we, the DPS educational community, place our minds and bodies in this space while acknowledging Indigenous relatives who have lived in and cared for this ancient Land from time immemorial. We acknowledge the close relationship that Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute and Natives of other tribal Nations continue to have with the waters, plants, and all moving things that call this Land home. We pledge our respect for those enduring Indigenous connections to the place we now call Colorado."
|
|
|
|
Superintendent’s Transition Advisory Team Convenes |
|
This month, Superintendent Dr. Marrero brought in community members to collaborate with DPS staff and other stakeholders to help develop recommendations to help inform the future multi-year strategic plan for DPS. This Transition Advisory Team is a group of 63 people dedicated to ensuring Every Child Succeeds and focus on putting equity at the forefront of our planning. Learn more about the Transition Advisory Team and their latest progress toward developing recommendations that will guide the next multi-year strategic plan on the Superintendent’s website. |
|
FACE Centers Support ECE Families through Partnership with WeeCycle |
WeeCycle, a Colorado-based nonprofit working to improve the lives of local families in need by matching essential baby gear to families through partner organizations, worked with the FACE Centers supporting hundreds of families in need by providing diapers and essential baby items. On Nov. 3, FACE Centers organized a drive-through diaper distribution where 10,000 diapers were distributed to families. FACE Center staff also allocated another distribution booth outside of an apartment building to be within walking distance of many participants in the community who faced transportation barriers. |
|
|
|
West High School holds Gender-Inclusive Clothing Swap |
|
West High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) held a gender-inclusive clothing swap this month. West's GSA leadership invited Marsha's Closet to come visit during the swap. Marsha's Closet provides free, gender-affirming clothing for individuals who may not otherwise have access, and is a program run through Mile High Behavioral Health. If your school is interested in arranging a swap, contact Ari Rosenblum (they/them).
|
|
 |
RiseUp Community High School Social Justice Poster Design Classes
The Poster Design Class at RiseUp Community is an introduction to design course. The students explored graphic design as a career through learning the tools and fundamentals of design. Additionally, students researched a social justice topic that is important to them and designed 11-by-17-inch posters that brought awareness to the issues. If you are interested in replicating this opportunity at your school, contact Kenzie Sitterud (they/them).
|
|
|
|
|
Participate in Cultural Moments
Visit The Commons to access resources for teaching about cultural moments. Is your school or community planning an event or project to honor and celebrate one of these cultural moments? We want to spotlight your work! Reach out to dpsequity@dpsk12.org to share your school’s plans and information. |
|
|
|
Prevention Services Webinar Series: Transgender and Non-binary Allyship and Supporting Grieving Families
The DPS Prevention Training Team hosted the monthly installment of the Lunchtime Learning Webinar Series. This month's webinar -- focused on Transgender/Non-binary Allyship 101 -- hosted 201 participants and featured a presentation by Levi Arithson, DPS' program manager of LGBTQ+ Equity Initiatives. A recording of the webinar can be found here. The next webinar will take place on Dec. 1 at noon, and will focus on supporting grieving families. Register for the webinar here. |
|
|
|
Resources to Support Educators of Color |
|
Native American Culture Resources for the Classroom
The Native American Culture and Education team has compiled resources for the classroom that can be used to bring Native voices into teaching, in November and beyond. Check out the lessons and book lists here and share widely with your school teams.
|
|
Eduardo Perez
Physical Education Teacher, Denver Online
Students First, Equity
"Denver Online nearly tripled in enrollment this year as we launched a new virtual middle school and expanded our high school. While we were so excited to welcome so many new families into the Denver Online community, helping families get started with online education at a new school or enrolled back in their previous school to pursue in-person learning became anything but easy. This was especially true for Spanish-speaking families as they tried to navigate the enrollment challenges. Our small enrollment team at Denver Online worked hard to help every family get to the schooling option they desired. However, it was our physical education teacher, Eduardo Perez, who stepped in to communicate with all of our families who speak Spanish. He answered a load of voicemails, responded to emails, and made countless calls to families to ensure that a population of our DPS community was not forgotten or overlooked. While we only provide middle school and high school education at Denver Online, Eddie was consistently helping and advocating for Spanish-speaking families with elementary school enrollment as well. These tasks were never intended to be on his work load as a teacher, but his commitment to Students First and Equity continually leads him to go above and beyond in meeting the needs of our Spanish speaking families in DPS. ¡Te apreciamos, Eddie!"
-- Kaci Sintek, Denver Online
|
|
Calendar of Upcoming Events |
|
|
|
|
|
|
