Native American Day at Massena Central

Students from Massena, who rarely get to look at Akwesasne and its traditions, got that chance last Tuesday. On Tuesday, November 25, the Massena Central School Mohawk Club and Title VII Program hosted the Native American Day Celebration at their school.

Guest Speakers covered the Creation Story, basket making, a fashion show and finally a social, where they were invited to dance to a variety of social songs by the Kaniekehakah Ratirennahawi.

The day's events began with the Traditional Opening Prayer or Ohenton Karihwatehkwen. This was given by Kahsenniiostha Jacobs, Lexsi Thomas and Brenna Burns-Barnes.

Tribal Chief Beverly Cook was one of the guests, and her presentation touched on different topics using her expertise as Family Practitioner at the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and her knowledge of culture and traditions. She spoke of the Creation Story and Skywoman and how today everything in nature has a balance related to those stories.

Cook used her knowledge in the health care field to tell the students who might be looking ahead to someday raising a family what their roles are as men and women.

Those roles applied to both the mother and father during pregnancy, after childbirth and raising the family.

The time honored tradition of splint baskets was demonstrated at Native American Day.

David Deerhouse and Theresa Cook were on hand to demonstrate the process of basketmaking. Deerhouse had brought in a black ash log the night before as well as the needed tools, and he demonstrated log pounding.

Starting at one end he scored a line the width of a splint. Then using an axe, he pounded his way up the log using the scored line as a guide. While he was doing that Cook told the students what is done with the strips of splints that Deerhouse was pounding. They are peeled off and shaved smooth then soaked in water. After they are shaved and smooth, they are bundled up and soaked in water. Whenever they are needed they are cut to the desired size and made into something beautiful.

Today there are only a handful of people who pound black ash logs, but back in the day when many were doing it and the pounding echoed in the distance, one could tell who was pounding the log because everyone had a different style. Cook said the pounding of the logs is what she used to wake up to.

A Fashion Show was held in the Gymnasium with students modeling traditional and contemporary clothing. These outfits were also worn all day up and down the crowded hallways of Massena Central.

The Gymnasium also held the Social where the Kaniekehakah Ratirennahawi sang and led the different dances in which students and teachers joined. They did the Cherokee Stomp Dance and the Round Dance which most of the assembly joined in.

During the schools regular lunch break the Mohawk Club opened their room for students to enjoy the traditional fried bread, corn soup and strawberry drink and it was another successful Native American Day Celebration.