Native American Heritage Month
November 2023
Meet Deacon Robison, a 10th grader at Lansing Tech High school.
His mother Dawna Robison, and his aunt Roviettia Lewis are Lansing school district alumni.
Deacon is a student at Lansing Technological high school. He likes learning how to build things and take them apart. Recently the school had guest speakers from Consumers energy come to talk to the students about a career in the electrician field. After looking into the requirements, Deacon has decided that after graduating high school, he would like to become a journey man electrician. Deacon will be taking the required classes to get into the summer program.
He has 2 younger brothers at home; Lorenzo and Kaine, and he enjoys being a good role model to them.
Deacon would like people to know that, “Native people are still here, our culture is not forgotten and we will continue our sacred way of life”
The Robison family comes to us from the San Carlos Apache nation in Arizona, and are direct descendants of the great Apache war leader; Geronimo. The family is very proud of their lineage. The San Carlos Apache tribe was also the last tribe to surrender to the US government. The Apache Nation’s ancestral lands expand from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico and into Mexico. A lot of their tribal lands sit on a border that never existed until colonization of the US. And now today the border divides their people.
The Robison family came here to Michigan during a tragic time in Indian country’s history known as The Sixties Scoop.
The Sixties Scoop happened during the 1960s and it was a time when Native American children were taken or “scooped away” from their birth families and communities. Children were taken without the consent of their family and tribe. During the 1960s scoop, many Indigenous/Native American children were taken from their communities and adopted into Non-native families all over North America and the world.
Deacon’s Grandmother Valentina Robison was one of those survivors of the 60’s scoop. She later reunited with her family and tribe and re-learned her culture so that she could pass it onto her children and grandchildren.
Being so far away from their home lands, the Robison family still remains close to their tribal identity by returning to their tribal lands, keeping in contact with family and friends and continuing ceremony here in Michigan at times when they cannot be at home with their family. Continuing those same traditions is an important part of life for the Robison family.
Roviettia and Dawna grew up in Lansing and attended the Lansing school district Native American program, the traditions are still the same but a lot has changed and these kids have a lot more being offered to them. There is a strong sense of community and belonging and they (Tia & Dawna) did not have that growing up here. Both feel that supporting our kids is important because they are our future.
...before you teach about Native Americans in your classroom
The Confederation of Michigan Tribal Education Departments has developed a new social studies guide.
This document is intentionally aligned with the Social Studies Standards adopted by the Michigan State Board of Education in June of 2019. This document is the first edition of the resource manual to accompany these standards and was published in 2021.
Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center
The Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center is dedicated to the preservation of History, Arts, Culture and Language of the Anishinaabe people - Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi nations.
The Origins of Lacrosse
The sport, which dates to 1100, was a social event and sometimes played to settle disputes.
7 Indigenous Pioneers You Need to Know
These doctors, scientists, and activists have all paved an inspiring path.
The Native American Program logo was created by a local Native American community member and has great significance in its meaning. The symbol of the turtle, as believed by the Turtle Clan, is representative of education and learning. A dreamcatcher is placed at the center of the shell, while the words embedded represent the 7 Grandfather Teachings: Wisdom - Truth - Love - Respect - Bravery - Honesty - Humility.
The program's mission outlines the image and states: Lansing School District Native American Education Program | Instilling confidence and self-esteem through cultural awareness and academic excellence.
We are Water Protectors
Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask
Anton Treuer
(Also available as Young Readers edition)
