West Virginia State University - Arch Yearbook (Institute, WV)

Page 21 text:

raditional Indian scenes by artist Ward Church- ill, on exhibit at West Virginia State College, in- clude the buffalo dancers at left, a tepee, above, a chief- tain on horseback, at right, and a child in tribal costume, below left. Focus Ba « PSG ae

Page 20 text:

16 SIOUX INAlans visit Two native Americans share cultural aspects Francis Whitebird and Florentine Blue Thunder, members of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, CONVOCATION of South Dakota, appeared on campus to discuss aspects of Native American culture. Bebe) Francis Whitebird, coordinator OLethe Monday, November 4, 1985 department of Indian Affairs for South Dakota and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, spoke at a convocation in Ferrell Auditorium, Problems of Native Americans in Modern Prelude Society, -their life styles, differences in Reflects dans l'eau cultural values and religion, are issues that Whitebird addressed. Whitebird graduated from South Dakota State University in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in agriculture. In 1975 he received a master's degree in education from Harvard, A Vietnam veteran, he completed two tours as a medic, Whitebird has been elected to the South Dakota Tribal Council twice. The Tribal Council is similar to the Convocation Addresa of The Native Americans WV State Legislature in that the state legis- Francis Whitebird, Speaker lature and the Tribal Council can only represent residents. The Tribal Council is territorial and makes the laws and establishes the taxes for all the reservations in South Dakota, South Dakota laws and those on the reservations are mutually exclusive. Whitebird is the longest-ranking member of Tribal Land Enterprise, which manages the Coming Events one-half million tribal acres in South Dakota. Psychology of Herbal Medicine He stressed the importance of self- Florentine S!u2 Thunder goverance and self-determination of the Tribal 12:30 Thursday Science Auditorium Council. Florentine Blue Thunder, also a= member ot the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, discussed the Psychology of Herbal Medicine, at a science Seminar in the Science Auditorium. The belief in the healing properties of herbs has been in Blue Thunder's family for generations. He believes that the ground of Mother Earth can nourish human beings by the herbs she grows just as the breast of Mothers can nurish her infant by the milk she produces. Today, in modern medicine, little natural medicine is used, When Florentine teaches at St. Francis Indian School, he integrates his Dakota culture with the social sciences. He focuses on how the course of man relates to the stars, plants and animals. Additionally, Blue Thunder teaches English as a second language to his students who speak the Sioux language at home. When he teaches addition and subtraction, he uses sticks in Indian games. : Blue Thunder has’ been actively involved in his community for years. Last year he was chairman of his conmunity-similar to a mayor in our culture. He continues to be active in their Indian Club. For five years, Florentine has participated in the yearly Sun Dance. The Sun Dance, held in late August, begins at sunrise and ends at sundown, and lasts four days. During these four days, the participants pray continually, maintaing contact with Tunkasila, our equivalent to god, trying to purify themselves mentally, physically, spiritually and socially, says Blue Thunder. Sun Dances are similar to our Christian Lent, Blue Thunder also dances and Sings at the Pow Wows, which are social gatherings to honor someone on thcir birthday, anniversary, for the birth of a baby, or at rallies. At age 26, Blue Thunder attributes his interest in herbal medicine to his grandmother, Kate Fast Dog and his grandfather, Dave Blue Thunder, who was a medicine man for 30 years. 20thc Lifestyles and Problems Debussy, Introduction of Speaker.......Professor Douglas Miller

Page 22 text:

18 Yi: b fn BY by Rachel Campbell- Muhammad, editor Patricia Locke, a Lakota In- dian, ended the series of semi- nars on ‘‘The Native American; His Arts, His Culture and His History,’’ Nov. 18. The series was held during the month of November on campus. Florentine Blue Thunder opened the program with a talk on herbal medicine and its psychology on Nov. 7, fol- lowed by a discussion by Professor Beatrice Medicine on ‘‘Indian Women: A per- spective.”’ On Nov. 14 a film screening was held, and a concert, with Indian music and dance, featur- ing Kevin Locke, Patricia Lock’s son, was held on Nov. 18 in the Fine Arts Building. During her talk on ‘‘Indian Culture and Education’’ Locke said that the great diversity among Indian people, with over 500 tribes in the United States, explains the many different as- pects of the culture. The Indian life style is based on a non-hierarchial social structure, Locke explained. Their basic values are generos- ity, Compassion, bravery and respect for the elders. She compared this to what she con- sidered the three basic charac- teristics or goals of Americans: individualism, greed and materialism. Indian series ended by Lakota woman C’O N'V 0'C’A- Tel oon VESOOPA pe Ms Monday, November 18, 1985 Prelude Introduction of Speaker Convocation Address Debussy Professor Edwin Hoffman Indian Culture and Education Patricia Locke, Speaker Concert 8 P.M, Ferrell Auditorium Native American Music and Dances Kevin Locke, Performer Locke expressed the view that Americans are guests on this continent or ‘‘Turtle Island,’’ and the Indians are the hosts who treat the guests with love and compassion as they do all human beings. According to Locke, the biggest obstacles between white and Indian relations is the differences of the cultures, and the tragic history betwee them. Indians have their own heroes, Locke said, and some legendary Americans are not considered heroes by Native Americans. ‘President Abraham Lincoln is thought of in completely negative terms because of his bad attitude towards Indians,”’ she said. She mentioned the 32 Indians hanged during his presidency. Locke said that Indians can- not be considered in the same category as other minorities because of the many peace and land treaties signed between the federal government and the Indians. This in spite of the fact that the Federal government has broken every treaty it ever negotiated with the Indians. The treaty reads. .. ‘‘as long as the grass shall grow and the rivers flow, the government must abide by these treaties to provide health, education and social services to the Indians,’’ Locke said.