Students learn history through Native American dancing

Native American dancer Mark Denning teaches students a traditional dance at Maple Dale Elementary School in Glendale. Photo gallery

When students first see Mark Denning, he doesn't always look as they expect. He enters the room in shorts and a T-shirt, and then slowly makes the transformation to Native American traditional dancer - right before their eyes.

First, he slips on moccasins as he explains how the Native American population is only one-half of 1% of the U.S. population today - even though millions of Native Americans lived on the land that's now the United States for thousands of years, before the colonies formed.

"Despite their small numbers today, they are important, and have many things in common with you," Denning told students at Maple Dale Elementary School during a recent visit. "The Menominee have been here in Wisconsin for 7,000 years. Wisconsin, as a state, is only about 150 years old - think about that."

Denning, whose lineage is of several Wisconsin tribes including Oneida and Menominee, gave students more to think about as he continued to assemble his regalia, including intricate beadwork belts, a breast plate made of a deer shoulder blade and the preeminent headpiece and Eagle bustle.

"Who knows who George Washington is?" Denning asked before dozens of hands shot up. "So, you all know who George Washington was, but not many people know that George Washington grew up in an Oneida neighborhood and that one of his best friends was Skenandoah."

"George Washington grew up to be a general and a president, and Skenandoah became an Oneida chief," Denning said. "And how many have heard about the winter Washington spent with the troops at Valley Forge?

"You've heard how cold it was, and the troops didn't have food or blankets or supplies. George Washington wrote a lot of letters for help to different organizations, like the Continental Congress. But no help came, and troops began to die," Denning said. "Finally, he wrote a letter to his childhood friend Skenandoah, who brought supplies and food - and people. The Oneida fought side by side with Washington's troops for the rest of the war. They helped win victory. A lot of people don't know that, but we share that history."

Denning played Marquette University's "First Warrior" symbol from 1980 to 1983 after the school dropped the "Willie Wampum" mascot.

"At the time, I thought it would be a respectful thing - to help create an image that is the true representation of the Native tribes in Wisconsin. But then I saw how it was not treated with respect," said Denning, holding up a pair of boxer shorts with his image as the First Warrior. "Now I know there are better ways to honor a people and a culture."

Teachers across the state regularly invite Denning to schools to teach about Native American culture and history, and to help students understand the dangerous effects of stereotyping a culture and people by using them as mascots. State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster agrees that stereotypical logos can be harmful to children and asked all school administrators again in January to eliminate the use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images, logos, nicknames and personalities for their athletic teams.

"Stereotypical American Indian logos do not support sound educational practice because they interfere with a school's efforts to provide accurate information related to the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of American Indian nations," Burmaster said. "In addition to ensuring sound educational practices, we need to ensure that all of our children feel welcome in our schools."

Wauwatosa East High School is one of the latest schools to be embroiled in controversy, because of its Red Raidars nickname. The school doesn't have a current Native American mascot character, but does use the symbol of an arrowhead.

Denning has followed mascot controversies throughout the state and country, and said his best way to help is through education.

"You cannot force people to believe a certain thing - and mascots are very important to students and alumni," Denning said. "If they don't know about the damage they cause, they can't understand it and they won't feel a need to change. They have to see for themselves how stereotyping a culture and people is never a good thing."

Many Wisconsin schools have replaced ethnic mascots, however 45 schools still have Native American mascots, using names such as "Braves."

At the end of Denning's school presentations, he usually takes questions, saying that no question is stupid, and students can ask him anything they ever wanted to know about Native Americans. He said the feedback he gets from young students shows there's progress being made away from racial stereotyping and bigotry. "These things take time," he said. "It's been a long time since anyone has asked me if I live in a teepee."

To contact Denning, call (414) 482-7111 or e-mail waepeta@yahoo.com

Posted March 10, 2006