Written by Derek Stewart, Tribal Arts Instructor, United Tribes Technical College.
My interview this week was with Chadwick Kramer, an elder who works with Native American students in the Bismarck school district.. An enrolled member of the Standing Rock Reservation and the Cultural Responsive Coordinator with the Bismarck Public School (BPS) Indigenous Education Program, Chadwick provides opportunities for Native students within the Bismarck Public School (BPS) district, including cultural-based activities, resources, and learning opportunities. The BPS district consists of several elementary, middle, and high school.
I had the opportunity this week to work with Chadwick’s students, making ledger art posters for Native American Heritage Month. Chadwick brings experts into the classroom to work directly with the students, providing them with cultural opportunities. He is passionate about working with the students and providing these resources. He states many of the students not growing up on the reservations may not have these opportunities at home to learn. As an Indigenous person, who also grew up in Bismarck, he felt he missed out on a lot of learning opportunities when he was younger.
Because of that upbringing, Chadwick wants to make sure his students do not miss out. He recalls how much he learned when he returned to the reservation to spend time with his grandmother, an inspirational person in his life. He recalls spending lots of time with her, learning from her, and absorbing that spirit of kindness, quiet strength, and positive attitude of not complaining and finding a way to make things good for those around her.
Chadwick moved into his position five years ago after his mother, who ran the program since it started in the seventies, retired. He shared how important it is to create safe spaces for our students, where they are welcome regardless of what is going on in their lives. I was able to witness how inviting he is, creating a space where students can let down their guard and feel at ease being themselves around their peers.
He opens the cultural space to all students, which is very mitákuye oyás’iŋ of him. He wants all students to have the opportunity to learn Native culture and feel welcome. Several students in the group are non-Native but are actively learning with their Native friends.
Chadwick hopes his students will travel a road of lifelong learning and stay open to learning and understanding new things. He wants them to be successful and happy: career, personal life, hobbies, friends, and family. The United Tribes Technical College tribal art program and the BPS Native education department are collaborating to provide the Indigenous students at BPS the opportunity to continue learning various forms of Native artwork, which Chadwick feels is very important and something the students need.
The ongoing development of the arts program and providing access to these materials is something that continues to grow and enrich the educational experiences of Native students.
