Texas Folklife Resources & the AISD Native American Parents Committee proudly present "Powwow in the Schools "

In association with the Native American Parents Committee (NAPC) Texas Folklife Resources (TFR) has developed an educational program focused on American Indian art and culture for Austin area school children.

As a result, TFR developed the Powwow in the Schools program that is currently in operation in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) in 1996. Powwow in the Schools focuses on educating students about the traditional culture of Indians, including art forms passed down from generation to generation, either within a family or within a community.

This program gives students the rare opportunity to interact with some of the finest tradition bearers from several different tribal communities in an intimate classroom setting. Before the artists visit the classrooms to discuss and demonstrate their work, TFR orients the host teachers on Native American culture, and provides them with curriculum guides and activities to aid classroom discussion before and after the artist's visit. The week before a Powwow in Austin, participating students have the additional opportunity to see the traditions discussed in the classroom come to life in the vibrant and exciting atmosphere of the powwow.

Each year, several distinguished artists/elders participate in the Powwow in the Schools programs. Read more about them below:

Vanessa Jennings
Kiowa-Apache-Comanche - Bead and Leatherwork, Regalia Making

Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings is one of very few Oklahomans to receive the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She received the award for her efforts to preserve Kiowa heritage. Ms. Jennings spent most of her childhood with her grandparents. From them, she began learning traditional Kiowa artistic techniques, especially from her grandmother, Jeanette Berry Mopope. Jennings' detailed work encompasses a wide range of creative effort: buckskin dresses, leggings, cradle boards, shields, dolls and horse equipment. She has been commissioned by the Kiowa tribal authorities to make ceremonial regalia for important occasions. Ms. Jennings is one of the last Kiowa members to actively preserve tribal traditions in her life; she compares herself to a dinosaur, fearing that when she passes, much of the traditional Kiowa lifestyle will die with her.

Irene Hamilton
Southern Cheyenne - Beadwork and Moccasin Making

Cheyenne people have long been known for the exquisite beadwork that decorates their clothing and moccasins. Irene Hamilton learned to make moccasins in the traditional manner and knows the appropriate ornamental designs to use. For this reason, her work is highly prized among powwow dancers.

"In 1932, at age six," she remembers, "I observed my grandmother constructing a moccasin while living in an encampment at Colony, Oklahoma. I have had great influence from my mother and sister and cousins. Some hobbyists are beading moccasins without knowing the meaning of color or design." Mrs. Hamilton, however, continues to use the knowledge of traditional color and design passed on to her from family members. Tribal beadwork rarely serves just as decoration; it forms an integral part of the culture and rituals for which it was designed.

Choogie Kingfisher
Keetoowah Cherokee - Storyteller

Choogie Kingfisher was born and raised in the hills of Green County in Northeast Oklahoma. Choogie has been performing throughout the United States for the past 16 years. Many of his stories have been passed down to him from his family, elders, and friends.

Marjorie Battise
Coushatta - Pine Needle Basketry

Marjorie Battise, a member of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, makes pine needle, sagegrass, and river cane baskets. Marjorie comes from a long line of tribal chiefs beginning with her great-great-grandfather, Jeff Abbey. She began learning from her mother at the age of eight. Her baskets continue to be popular among buyers and traders at powwows.

This program is made possible in part with funding from the City of Austin under the auspices of the Austin Arts Commission and Great Promise .