Highland Park students learn about Native heritage

Students at Highland Park Early Elementary School received a number of activities on Friday intended to introduce them to aspects of Native American culture and history.

Aboriginal elders from all over the area came to the school and assisted with a number of activities the students were involved in, including learning about reserve flags and the significance of certain symbols and animals.

Students were also able to take a class on decoration with Renita Longknife, an elder from Fort Belknap, and Nikita Vorsoulis, also from Fort Belknap, who spoke about Nakuda’s traditional teachings on the circle of life.

In another semester, students sampled traditional Native American foods like bannock bread, blueberries and buffalo meat, with Bruce Grant, a member of the Gros Ventre or Annie tribe also from Fort Belknap.

He talked about the foods, how they were collected and the importance of bison in particular, as they were a vital part of their culture and food supply.

The bison meat was donated by the Fort Belknap Buffalo Program and the bread was made by Haver High School First semester food and consumer sciences.

Havre Daily News/Patrick Johnston

Highland Park Early Elementary School teacher Danielle Pack shows students the Chippewa Cree tribal flag of Rocky Boy Indian reservation to a class in Highland Park on Friday.

Kindergarten students also learned some Native American Sign Language regarding animals, while other students listened to trick tales, sacred legends, and folk tales…