We wrapped up Native American Heritage Month at FMS with two special events: the Book Talk series on November 28 and the Native American Heritage Festival on November 29, both held at San Juan College. Here's a brief recap:
Book Talk Series
The FMS Native American Programs Department organized a Book Talk series featuring “The Yazzie Case: Building a Public Education System for Our Indigenous Future.” The event was an informative workshop focused on discussing the book’s main idea of supporting Native American students in their education. The discussion aimed to deepen our understanding of the importance of this collaborative work and highlighted the next steps required to fully achieve change.
During the session, various contributors to the book shared insights and discussed their chapters in detail. They covered topics ranging from understanding legal terms to sharing examples of students who may need extra help to succeed academically. Present was also Ms. Wilhelmina Yazzie, one party to the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit against the State of New Mexico, which found that the state was lacking in support for students who come from low-income families, who are Native American, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.
Morning Festival
Students from Animas Elementary School, Tibbetts Middle School, Mesa View Middle School, and Piedra Vista High School had a great time during the morning portion of the FMS Native American Heritage Festival. Some of the students who wouldn’t be able to take part in the evening event got to enjoy some beautiful performances, like the Ribbon Dance and the Corn Grinding Dance, and a traditional benediction by Ms. Esther Dennison.
Evening Festival
The Festival wrapped up with unique performances from Farmington High School, and Hermosa Middle School, video presentations from Mesa Verde Elementary School and Tibbetts Middle School, and a powerful message from motivational guest speaker James Junes.
“If we are truly going to celebrate Native American Heritage, we have to speak about family, the importance of family, plus education,” said motivational guest speaker James Junes during the event.
“Kids, I want you to be fighters and mindful of who you follow. Be strong for the adversities that might be coming,” he added.
The evening portion of the festival was a celebration of indigenous language, culture, and the importance of family, as many of the students integrated insightful stories about what they’ve learned from their parents and grandparents. Great examples of this were the sheep butchering and cooking presentation by Miss FHS Aliyah Tsosie, the archery demonstration by Miss Northern Navajo Teen’s Anayah Dickson, and the weaving presentation by Mr. FHS Mitchell Edd.
In all the presentations, the students recalled how their paths have been heavily influenced by what they learned first-hand from their parents and grandparents.
Another example was the “Grandma and Grandpa song” by the wonderful students of Animas Elementary School. Ms. Lula Begay explained before the performance that the song and dance are fun, but also a respectful depiction of the tireless work of grandparents.
The evening also provided an excellent opportunity to showcase native talent, including a violin rendition of George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning” by PVHS Mr. Indigenous Shawn Baker, a classical piece by PVHS student Adam Lee, and music from Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Tom Petty by FHS student Jadyn Harrison.
We want to thank our students and families for making the Native American Heritage Festival a success! This labor of love now marks the end of Native American Month for another year. Ahéhee'.
Special thanks to Mr. Lydell Rafael, Mr. Marvin Pete, and Mr. Ervin Trujillo for their contributions to the success of the festival and for supporting education.
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the FMS Native American Programs, Native American Youth Advisors, and everyone involved in organizing the diverse events for Native American Heritage Month at Farmington Municipal Schools.
Visit our official social media pages for more information and photos of recent FMS happenings, including the 1st FMS Native Fashion Show, Frybread Day, and more.