MARSHALL — Fifth- and sixth-graders at Marshall Middle School recently had the opportunity to learn about the Dakota when several members of the Dakota Wicohan came to the school and gave a presentation, performed a play and demonstrated hoop dances.

Dakota Wicohan is a Native nonprofit educational organization — the only one of its kind in Minnesota — that seeks to revitalize the Dakota language and way of life in the state. The organization began in the summer of 2001 in the Dakota community when a group of language activists and learners from the Upper Sioux and Lower Sioux communities, along with Dakota from the Twin Cities area, formed a language team.

“We just want to do these things because, growing up, a lot of people did not learn about Dakota people,” said 22-year-old Vanessa Goodthunder, who is a community language leader at Dakota Wicohan (DW). “There are only five original first-language speakers — all who are 64 and older — so that’s not a big number. So our nonprofit’s mission is to try and revitalize the language.”

Jean Mather, sixth-grade language arts teacher at MMS, first saw Goodthunder via the Internet when Goodthunder spoke at WE Day Minnesota — an experience that aims to empower youth to create positive change.

“I was in awe of her eloquence and her drive,” Mather said. “At only 22, she has become a leader in her community. I contacted her and asked if she would consider coming to Marshall to present. She willingly agreed and came up with the program based on our needs.”

Mather said her language arts students had recently read about an author who was impressionable as a child.

“Right now, our students are also impressionable and bringing in other cultures to expose our students to a variety of traditions is not only beneficial to students, but also necessary for a cohesive existence in our community. Our school is very diverse, and we have so much to learn from each other when we learn about other cultures rather than expect them to assimilate into our culture.”

Goodthunder kicked off the presentation by discussing Dakota, Dakota language and how the Dakota people pass their history and traditions down orally. She pointed out that Minnesota (Mnisota) is a Dakota word that means clear water.

“Dakota are such a big part of our history and our fifth- and sixth-graders are learning about them, so this was a perfect opportunity to extend the curriculum to reach every student,” Mather said.

Goodthunder, who grew up on the Lower Sioux, then introduced the play. The story was told to them by elder Mary Louise Defender-Wilson from Standing Rock.

“I remember an elder from Standing Rock visited us and told us a story,” Goodthunder said. “After she told the story, she had this activity where we drew the story. Recently, when I was asked to make a skit or something, I wanted to do something with youth that is engaging and exciting, so I thought we could make a play. We did the play for the community, The next thing you know, people are calling us to perform. It’s a great tool for teaching.”

Before presenting at MMS, Goodthunder said she looked at Minnesota state standards for sixth grade, regarding Dakota history. For some of the high school presentations, she introduces treaties and the Dakota movement throughout Minnesota.

“It’s nice we get to tell our stories,” she said. “We tell people we’re Dakota and this is what it means to us.”

Just before starting the play, elder Joe Circlebear, who narrated the play, told a story to discuss the importance of storytelling in the Native American culture.

“The performance centered around oral history,” Mather said. “Students learned that in social studies. The group presented a story exclusively in Dakota language. Grandfather (Circlebear) narrated the story while the rest of the members acted it out. English subtitles played on a screen for students to interpret the language.”

Goodthunder’s mom (Laverne Goodthunder) served as the set director, while Trinidad Rangel sang and drummed during the Welcome song and for the hoop dancers.

“My mom is Navajo from Arizona,” Goodthunder said. “They have their own tribe and they have their own story about how the horse came to the people.”

Circlebear, one of the five native-speaking Dakota left in Minnesota, also sang a Dakota song, which captivated the students’ attention.

“He has taught language and culture of the Dakota for over 20 years,” Mather said. “He grew up in South Dakota and spoke only Dakota until he went to first grade. He proudly stated that he was an ‘A’ students and told the students that they have to know who they are. He later shared that he wants to help people — to forgive people — and move ahead with life.”

The Great Sioux Nation is part of the seven council fires, which the MMS students learned about in their social studies class.

“Circlebear said that oral tradition was a part of him growing up and involved stories of life and health because those are so important,” Mather said. “He also told students to see things in an appropriate way. If you separate heart and mind, you will get lost.”

Respect is one of the traditional values in the Dakota culture. Even brothers and sisters show respect to each other. It is also tradition to honor one’s father and mother because they are the backbone of the family.

“He reiterated that sharing and compassion toward one another were expectations for everyone,” Mather said.

When it was time for hoop dancing, Trella Old Rock gave explanations, noting that the hoops represent the circle of life — baby, teen, adult and elder — and the four directions. The colors follow the colors from the oral history story — red, black, yellow and white — she said.

During the dances, students formed their hoops into different shapes, including the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly.

Goodthunder made sure to allow time for students to ask questions. She was impressed with the level of engagement and interest the students showed.

“The questions students asked were awesome and it really made for great conversation,” she said. “I love speaking to students.”

One of the questions was regarding the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation supporters who are protesting the construction of a pipeline that would threaten their land (promised to them by the Treaty of Fort Laramie-1851) as well as their water source.

“When we speak, we’re not speaking for all Native Americans because there are 557 federally-recognized tribes in the United States,” Goodthunder said. “We’re just from the Lower Sioux — one of those tribes. We have our own language and we have our own way of life. I can tell you what I personally think, and as a tribe, we are against it.”

Just the fact that the students knew about the Dakota Access Pipeline “was amazing” Goodthunder added.

Afterward, Mather asked some of the students for their thoughts about the experience.

“I think oral history is critical to Dakota people because it helps keep their ancestry alive,” MMS student Yasmee Yang said. Classmate Karissa Talamantes added “that it is very spiritual to them and a way to tell stories about their life.”

Student Bridget Brenner said she “appreciated how hoop dancing showed the diversity compared to the way we dance.” Gavin Dahms said he “enjoyed hearing the story of how the horse came to the Dakota people.”

Student Lillian Tabaka said she thought the performance was beneficial to her.

“Now I really have a good understanding of the Dakota and other native tribes,” Tabaka said. “There was hoop dancing, plays and singing. This was a great experience for me and my classmates. I think I enjoyed it so much because everybody is everybody’s family there.”