Family shares message of cultural tradition

The group hopes to clear up
misconceptions about their culture by doing public presentations.

By DENISE DICK

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

POLAND — Jarod Jeffers and Tyler Morrison, both 7, sway their hips and move their feet to the rhythm of the drum.

The two boys were among Poland North Elementary School first-graders, dressed in feather-adorned headbands made from construction paper and vests cut from brown paper shopping bags, to welcome members of the Red Hawk American Indian Cultural Society.

Their appearance was part of the school’s study focusing on Thanksgiving.

The six-member Pipe family of Austintown, society members, performed traditional American Indian songs and dances and shared information about their culture this week at the school.

“We have an oral culture,” said Priscilla Pipe, 17. “We tell stories or sing songs. That’s how we preserve our culture.”

She, her brother, Kendal, 13; and two sisters, Rebecca, 10, and Hermanee, 8, dressed in traditional American Indian garb for the presentation.

The family is from the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana and moved to Austintown when the father, Herman, got a job with the Ohio Education Association.

Randee, the children’s mother, said the family started doing the presentation at schools, community events and Boy Scout meetings about two years ago when they joined the cultural society.

They wanted to clear up misconceptions about their culture.

“Here there are so many misconceptions about being American Indian,” she said.

For example, some people believe that the use of crystals is part of their way of life.

They aren’t.

“Being American Indian means preserving our culture and being environmentalists,” she said.

Father, son and eldest daughter sang and played drum while mom and the two youngest daughters led the first-graders in a round dance.

The group gathered in a large circle around the school gymnasium, holding hands and moving to the beat.

“The drum is our way of telling stories,” Randee Pipe said.

The dancing was Jarod’s and Tyler’s favorite part of the presentation.

“I was doing this,” Jarod said, hands on hips and switching his hips. “That was cool.”

Tyler, arms at his sides, demonstrated the dance, stepping his feet from side to side.

“I learned lots of things about Indians,” Tyler said.