“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” ~ Alexandra K. Trenfor
Today I had to sub in a third grade classroom. I have known these students for 2 years and they are fun, clever, and very special. They had just finished a standardized assessment and were ready to play some games. I pulled up a computer trivia game from Kahoot (https://kahoot.com/) because they are familiar with the platform and enjoy naming themselves and choosing the best answers. Today, we had names such as Mr. Stark, Swift Tiger, Moo, and Nerdy Poo. A question popped up about the state in which the Black Hills are located and one student brought up Mount Rushmore as a national monument.
Before I learned to do better, I would have told them how I visited this place as a child, and how I was in awe. It is quite the feat. But today I know more because I listened and learned to honor those who were here before us and still have close connections to this sacred, and spiritual region. I told the students of the presidents carved into the side of the mountain and how very large it all is. And then I told them something else. The Black Hills are sacred to the Lakota Sioux and someone came in and carved up the side of a mountain that can never be the same as it once was.
I love the beauty of the Black Hills, and as parents, my husband and I could not wait to venture out there to show our children. We went to Mount Rushmore and then, to the sculpture of Crazy Horse which honors the Lakota Sioux. At the time, we were able to observe Lakota dancers who were there to share their craft. At one point, they asked audience members to come and join them. I knew I would be chosen; I could feel it. The Lakota lady came to me, took my hand, and brought me into their circle. I was nervous because I wanted to make sure to be respectful of their culture and not be too Euro-American.
Afterwards, we stayed to listen and learn about the area from those who would know it and understand it the best. This was when we were told of the sacredness of the Black Hills and how this national monument altered what was supposed to be their land, forever. I never knew. It is important and necessary to tell these stories.
Learning from those who came before is essential to recognize the history, the injustice, and to honor and respect the indigenous cultures. Because my family and I were offered this gift from our Lakota friends, it is something we continue to practice. Some years later, we were able to venture to Australia and visit the beautiful city of Sydney, snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, and visit Uluru in the outback. We were given a tour by a man called Sammy. He was Anangu, the Australian Indigenous People from the area around Uluru. On maps it is called Ayers Rock, named after the person who “discovered” it.
Uluru is a sacred and spiritual region for the Anangu. Sammy showed us the path that had been cut onto it so tourists could climb to the top. The Anangu worked very hard to prevent this and finally, in 2019, the final climb was made. People are no longer allowed to venture to the top of this sacred place.
Sharing these truths with our students is our job as educators. Teaching should open students eyes to all sides of the learning so that they can come to their own conclusions.
