Kylee Deering | A&L Co-Editor

On Monday evening, ACES held a cultural event called Native American Storytelling. A group of Native American dancers came to teach students what it means for them to dance. They talked about how the dances told stories for them. They didn’t like to write things down because it wouldn’t be theirs anymore, someone could steal it. They preferred to tell stories orally and through dance. They have many dances that are expressed during different times; war, courtship, healing, and many others.

The group demonstrated several dances. One dance they talked about was after war. The males would come home and the women would dance to celebrate their victory. Halfway through the dance, the males would join in order to try to court the women. They would then settle down and have a family. Dancers Josh Atcheynum and Sheena Cain demonstrated this courtship dance.

Atcheynum also talked about the clothing they wore. They had hats for different purposes; ones for battle, ones for story-telling, and others for other purposes. The hats and headdresses are earned through ceremony. He talked about how everything they wore was authentic and handmade and it all represented something.

Founder and Artistic Director, Larry Yazzie, also discussed the wars that are still taking place today for Native Americans. The most recent is over the Dakota Access Pipeline running through Standing Rock in North Dakota, a Native American reservation. He shed some light about their stance and why it’s important for them to have their sacred land kept untouched.

“We are the water protectors, we’re not protesters. We’re simply protecting the water,” says Yazzie.

Clean water is healing and sacred to Native Americans. For them, the Dakota Access Pipeline would run through their clean drinking water but also the very water that’s medicinal to them.

The dancers lightened the mood with an interactive dance where students could join them on stage and learn some of their moves. The first time around they played Uptown Funk to keep it light and fun. The second time around they played Native American music and had the students really get into the drum beats and moves. They gave instructions throughout the course of the dance, motivating dancers to continue until the end. The students commented afterwards saying that it was fun and energetic.

Yazzie ended the ceremony talking about their stories. The dancers travel all over the United States, sharing their dances and bringing cultures together. In a time full of hate and fighting, this gives students some hope. For a little while, they can learn about coming together and being one. For the Native Americans, it’s also about the stories. Yazzie emphasized, “It’s very important to keep our stories alive.”

Photo by Kylee Deering