On Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the Hu Court, the Native American Heritage Month Assembly was held, featuring Cheyenne Eete Kippenberger, a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and former Miss Indian World.
During community time, students learned about Native American culture, tradition, and lived experiences. This assembly reflected the school’s mission to celebrate cultural backgrounds that are represented at school but not deeply understood.
“We’re always looking for ways to increase understanding and empathy and awareness at school,” Director of Belonging and Community Don Lawrence said. “We just want our students to be globally minded, and culturally competent, and the one way that we do that is by using assemblies to educate our students and to help them understand people more deeply.”
Kippenberger and Talbert Cypress, the Chairman of the Miccosukee Business Council, gave students more information about who they are and what is important to them, such as their tribes, what their homes are like, and day-to-day activities that they enjoy, which are important to their culture.
Cheyenne Kippenberger is very active in the community by shifting the public narrative of Indigenous people while combating stereotypes through her passions for securing environmental justice and understanding for the Native American people, respectively.
“Native American heritage is important to me, because out of the 365 days that there are in a year, there are only 30 that are dedicated to celebrating the contributions to diversity Indigenous people have made, and the beauty of [our cultures], ” Kippenberger said.
Speaking at schools is vital to Kippenberger because she believes everyone should know and continue to learn about how Native Americans live their everyday life, including their exposure to diverse cultures throughout history and in the present day. She emphasizes breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions about Indigenous people, while modernizing the lens through which they are viewed.
“We [Native Americans] are also modern people, and we go to school, we have jobs, and we participate in normal day-to-day things, just like everybody else [of different heritage]. And so in these presentations, I … stress the fact that we carry these traditions with us, but we also are navigating a modern world, just like eve
rybody else,” Kippenberger said.
Fashion is very important to Kippenberger, as she was raised to express her identity through what she wears from her family of seamstresses. Wearing her culture’s clothing proudly allows her to express herself and carry her tradition with her wherever she goes.
“I’m motivated to share my culture, my history, and all this different information about my people, because education is important, exposure is important, and the more that I can share and the more that different people can absorb all these different parts of where I come from… the more people [will] navigate the world with a larger lens, and be open … and also build respect for different cultures, perspectives, and experiences,” Kippenberger said.
Students resonated with Kippenberger’s presentation, believing she educated them about Native American Heritage Month while keeping them entertained.
“I found Kippenberger’s story extremely interesting, and I feel like I learned a lot more about Indigenous people [and their ways of life],” junior Mikeala Isaias said.
