Tuscarora School celebrates American Indian heritage

by Ralph Schwarz
Niagara Wheatfield Tribume, May 27, 2004

The Tuscarora Indian Elementary School celebrated its Native Indian heritage with its annual Culture Night on May 14.

As in the past years, the event featured many magnificent displays showcasing Tuscaroran art, culture and heritage. Most of those exhibits were put together by the 140 students in their classes, running from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade.

One of the highlights of this year's Culture Night was the display of miniature Long Houses made by fourth-grade students with a little help of their family members.

"By working with their family members on this project, the students become familiar with the concept of interdependence," said Joanne Weinholtz, culture teacher at Tuscarora and a member of the Turtle Clan.

Required as part of the state Education Department's social studies curriculums, the project also taught the students about the layout of a Long House and the importance of location. All of the different Long House displays incorporated such aspects as close access to water, trees, fruit trees and game. Made of different types of wood, all of the very detailed replicas paid attention to those requirements, with some of them featuring life plants and miniature trees.

"It is amazing how detailed the individual projects have become since we started doing them three years ago," Weinholtz said. "And most of the students say the best part of the project is the process of building the Long House."

Parents and grandparents see it the same way.

"It's a lot of fun when you start building the houses," said Marlene Rickard of the Turtle Clan, who helped her granddaughter Ashlynn Hummel with her project. "You go with the kids into the woods to gather some of the materials. Everybody does something different and often we come up with new and better ways how to build it."

Also on display were pouches and bags made by students in the beginner and advanced beadwork classes as well as traditional instruments and jewelry made by Tuscaroran artisans. And on stage, members of school performed traditional Iroquois social dances and songs under the guidance of dance instructor Randy Green.