CLINTONVILLE, Wis — On Monday Clintonville school leaders invited a Native American author and educator to their high school to educate their students on the importance of acceptance and inclusion, for all people. The guest speaker was invited on the account of an incident at Clintonville High School earlier this month, when several students were videotaped doing a dance many interpreted, as a Native American tribal dance, some at the Oneida Nation calling it disrespectful.
Tonight NBC26 has the details on what organizers of today's visit, are trying to share with their students through the visual learning opportunity.
It was earlier this month when high school students at Clintonville High School were seen doing a tribal Native American dance during their lunch hour.
"However you want to label the situation of what went on here in Clintonville, my immediate call was to our school district on the Menominee Reservation, saying hey, I think that's a teachable moment," says curator of the Bittersweet Winds exhibit Richie Plass.
Plass is an educator, musician and a traditional dancer himself. He says he wanted to bring his collection of Native American imagery here to Clintonville so students could learn how offensive being stereotyped can be.
"People say it's shameful, it's hurtful, it's racist, it's discriminatory," adds Plass.
Plass's collection of images date back from the1800's all the way to this year. His collection includes depictions and characterizations of Native Americans that can be hurtful he says, but also carry a powerful message for today's youth.
"For me it's an opportunity for them to see them learn and reflect and have a wonderful opportunity for classroom conversation about learning about the display and history of prejudice towards Native Americans," says David Dyb the Superintendent of Clintonville Schools.
And as Plass waits for students to check out his display at Clintonville High School and learn visually from our society's collective misrepresentations of Native Americans, he believes as a society we still have a long way to go.
“I've got some grandchildren in the Green Bay school district and they are going through some of the same stuff I went through 50 years ago. They don't know us, they think we're still from the 1800's and they don't understand that we're still here," says Plass.
The exhibit is open to the public at Clintonville High School from 4:30pm till 6:30pm on Tuesday the 29th of October.
