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Native learning: Nixya’awii teaches tribal culture
surrounding areas at
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
powwows and other
East of Pendleton in
events.
DŝƐƐŝŽŶ͕ŽŶƚŚĞhŵĂƟůůĂ
Being located on the
/ŶĚŝĂŶZĞƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ͕ƐŝƚƐ
ƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ͕ƚŚĞƐĐŚŽŽů
a school well known to
is very involved in the
tribal members but less so
ŶĂƟǀĞĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘KŶĞ
ŝŶŽƚŚĞƌƉĂƌƚƐŽĨhŵĂƟůůĂ
of the biggest events
County. Nixya’awii Com-
ŝƐƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶŝŶƚŚĞ
munity High School (pro-
root gathering and
nounced “Nick-ya-way”)
Children’s Feast each
was created as a public
year. In this weeklong
charter school with the
event, members of the
intent to address some of
tribes teach children
ƚŚĞŶĞĞĚƐŽĨƚŚĞEĂƟǀĞ
the history of the tribal
American student popula-
ƉĞŽƉůĞ͕ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂůůLJ
ƟŽŶĂŶĚƚŚĞƐƵƌƌŽƵŶĚŝŶŐ
with regard to diet.
community. The charter
The elders teach the
focus is based on language
young people how to
and culture.
gather and dig cer-
As a public school,
tain roots and how
EŝdžLJĂ͛ĂǁŝŝƐƟůůƌĞƋƵŝƌĞƐƚŚĞ
to prepare them. The
same amount of credits
ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐĞŶĚǁŝƚŚĂ
as a non-charter school,
celebratory feast. Field
along with the same core
trips are also culturally
ĐůĂƐƐĞƐĂŶĚĞƐƐĞŶƟĂůƐŬŝůůƐ
based. For example,
to graduate. They take the
the school took a trip
Smarter Balanced exam,
ƚŽƚŚĞĮƐŚŚĂƚĐŚĞƌLJ
as well.
at Cascade Locks last
Because the popula-
&8-SKRWR'DOODV'LFN year.
ƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞƐĐŚŽŽůŝƐƐŵĂůů͕
In addition to playing sports like basketball and lacrosse,
Community involve-
averaging about 60 stu-
Nixya’awii
students
also
learn
older
traditional
games,
ment in the school
dents from 9th through
such as double ball.
ŝƚƐĞůĨĞďďƐĂŶĚŇŽǁƐ͕
12th grades, class sizes
allowing the school
follow, ranging from 6 to
ƚŽŽīĞƌĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚĐƵůƚƵƌĂůůLJďĂƐĞĚ
ϭϴĂƚĂŶLJŐŝǀĞŶƟŵĞ͘^Ž͕ǁŚŝůĞƚŚĞ arts such as beading, and even a
classes from year to year. The
teachers end up having to teach all ĐůĂƐƐŝŶƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝnjĞĚĮƐŚŝŶŐƟĞƐ͘
couple
years
ago,
the
seniors
in
the
ƐĐŚŽŽůŚĂƐƐƚƌŽŶŐƟĞƐƚŽƚŚĞŽŶ-
levels of a subject, they are able to
really make an impact on individual advanced language classes success- ĨĞĚĞƌĂƚĞĚdƌŝďĞƐŽĨƚŚĞhŵĂƟůůĂ/Ŷ-
ĨƵůůLJĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚƚŚĞĚĂƵŶƟŶŐƚĂƐŬ
ĚŝĂŶZĞƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶ͕zĞůůŽǁŚĂǁŬdƌŝďĂů
student achievement.
ŽĨƚƌĂŶƐůĂƟŶŐǁĞůůͲŬŶŽǁŶĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͛Ɛ Health, Cayuse Technologies and
Being a charter school puts
ƐƚŽƌŝĞƐŝŶƚŽŶĂƟǀĞůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐĂŶĚ
tŝůĚŚŽƌƐĞZĞƐŽƌƚ͘/ƚƌĞůŝĞƐŽŶǀŽůƵŶ-
EŝdžLJĂ͛ĂǁŝŝŝŶƚŚĞƉŽƐŝƟŽŶŽĨďĞŝŶŐ
uploading
them
to
ebook
format.
teers to teach the students about
ĂďůĞƚŽŽīĞƌƵŶŝƋƵĞĐůĂƐƐĞƐĂŶĚŽƉ-
One of the most well-known
ƚŚĞƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞŶĂƟǀĞƚƌŝďĞƐ
ƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐƚŽŝƚƐƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐ͘ZĂƚŚĞƌ
ƐĐŚŽŽůŐƌŽƵƉƐŝƐƚŚĞdƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů
and give the students a strong con-
than Spanish or French, Nixya’awii
Drum and Dance Team. For years,
ŶĞĐƟŽŶƚŽƚŚĞĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘
ƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐĐĂŶƚĂŬĞhŵĂƟůůĂ͕tĂůůĂ
it has performed at assemblies in
Not all students at Nixya’awii are
tĂůůĂ͕ŽƌEĞnjWĞƌĐĞĂƐĂĨŽƌĞŝŐŶ
area
schools,
as
well
as
at
commu-
EĂƟǀĞŵĞƌŝĐĂŶ͕ĂůƚŚŽƵŐŚƚŚĞLJ
ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚ͘dŚĞLJĂƌĞ
nity events both locally and in the
do make up about 90 percent of
ĂůƐŽŽīĞƌĞĚĐůĂƐƐĞƐŝŶƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů
(GXFDWLRQ
ƚŚĞƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƉŽƉƵůĂƟŽŶ͘ĐĐŽƌĚ-
ing to principal Ryan Heinrich, the
ƐĐŚŽŽů͛ƐƐŝnjĞĂŶĚƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶŝŶ
Division I sports are a big draw, as
is the four-day school week. The
shortened week is certainly help-
ful when teams need to travel to
games. Nixya’awii starts mid-Au-
gust, which is earlier than the rest
of the district, and therefore allows
the students to end the school year
earlier as well, at the beginning of
June.
tŚŝůĞƚŚĞƐĐŚŽŽůŚĂƐĂƐƚƌŝĐƚ
ĂƩĞŶĚĂŶĐĞƉŽůŝĐLJ͕ƚŚĞƌĞĂƌĞƐŽŵĞ
cultural events that are excused
by the school, not common in a
mainstream school. Some students
ƚĂŬĞĚĂLJƐŽīƚŽƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƚĞŝŶƚŚĞŝƌ
&ŝƌƐƚ,ƵŶƚŽƌ&ŝƌƐƚ<ŝůů͕ŐŽŝŶŐŽīǁŝƚŚ
ĂƌĞůĂƟǀĞŽŶƚŚĞŝƌĮƌƐƚŚƵŶƟŶŐƚƌŝƉ͘
A death in the family might call
ĨŽƌƐŽŵĞĞdžƚƌĂĚĂLJƐŽīĂƐǁĞůů͕ŝŶ
ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶƚŽƚŚĞĚĂLJŽĨƚŚĞĨƵŶĞƌĂů͘
Students are given assignments re-
lated to their reason for being out
of school, in order to make up for
the work they missed.
Chartered in 2004, Nixya’awii
ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐĂǀĂůƵĂďůĞĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů
ŚŽŵĞĨŽƌŽƵƌƚƌŝďĂůƉŽƉƵůĂƟŽŶŝŶ
ĂƐƚĞƌŶKƌĞŐŽŶ͘LJƌĞƐƉĞĐƟŶŐĂŶĚ
valuing the culture of its students,
ĂŶĚƉĞƌƉĞƚƵĂƟŶŐƚŚĞŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞ
ŽĨƚŚĞƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶƐĂŶĚůŝĨĞƐƚLJůĞƐ͕ƚŚĞ
school serves its community ex-
tremely well.
________
Suzanne Kennedy is a former
middle school teacher who lives in
Pendleton with her husband and
three children.