- Details
- By Zuni Enrichment Youth Project
ZUNI, NM — This spring, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is once again offering its traditional social dance class for elementary school students in partnership with the Zuni Public School District. Offered from Mar. 3 to May 2 in teacher Shanell Leekya’s physical education specials class, the ZYEP program serves 430 students in pre-K to 5th grade at Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary School.
Not only are elementary students learning social dances such as the rainbow dance and buffalo dance, which they will perform at Shiwi Ts’ana’s Indigenous Day on Apr. 25, they also are engaging with a Native food sovereignty-focused curriculum called “Rooted in Healthy Traditions.” This ZYEP-led curriculum teaches young children about planting and nurturing seeds, the importance of conserving water and so much more.
Made possible with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Health’s Healthy Kids Healthy Communities initiative, the elementary school class is offered twice per school year. It incorporates New Mexico’s “Eat Smart to Play Hard” state curriculum during the fall semester and ZYEP’s “Rooted in Healthy Traditions” curriculum in the spring.
“Originally we used a different state curriculum during the spring semester,” explained Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho, ZYEP’s executive director. “We realized it was too similar to Eat Smart to Play Hard, and it didn’t resonate with our Zuni community and our traditional culture. We talked with the New Mexico Department of Health to see if we could adjust the curriculum. They were very supportive.”
The ZYEP team ensured that RHT would hit all the necessary state benchmarks, and then they expanded it to incorporate culturally relevant content and reflect Zuni’s seasonal and cultural calendar. The new curriculum also would cover two full months of instruction rather than the original curriculum’s five weeks.
“We are deeply grateful to Zuni Public School District for their partnership, because this is our opportunity to teach a maximum number of elementary-age children about how to prep and care for a garden and have a successful growing season,” Natachu-Eriacho noted. “Then, in the fall, we focus on the harvest, good nutrition and healthy recipes through Eat Smart to Play Hard.”
“We give the students these lessons in the pre-planting season in the hope that they will carry forward what they have learned after the school year ends,” said Khass Hattie, one of ZYEP’s food sovereignty leaders. “Many of these students have already participated in our food sovereignty initiatives, including the garden workshops and rain barrel project. We hope that the in-school program will connect them to this growing season, increase their sense of cultural knowledge and inspire them to stay involved with our efforts outside of school.”
Hattie leads the RHT portion of each class, while ZYEP Youth Development Leader Rani Yamutewa leads the dance portion with singers Cyrus Lutse and Mangaysha Kallestewa. During RHT, the children explore Zuni agricultural practices, engage in physical activities and make art; along the way, they have opportunities to learn both English and Zuni terminology.
During this session, elementary students received one packet of cilantro seeds, as cilantro is a staple in traditional meals. They learned about the seed, how to grow and harvest the plant, the benefits of cilantro, the recipes that incorporate it and how to save the seeds.
“One third-grader recently mentioned that they have potted their cilantro seeds in their home, and they’re waiting for the right time to transfer the plants to their home garden,” Yamutewa shared.
The children learned how vital water is, as well. ZYEP’s food sovereignty team prepared a video for them to watch, offering tips for water conservation — including information about saving snow during the winter months for later use in thirsty garden beds.
They also enjoyed physical activities, especially games like Seed Tag and Farmer Dodgeball. Then there was Seed Stretch, an activity that kicked off each class.
“Khass or Brittny (Seowtewa, ZYEP’s food sovereignty coordinator) would demonstrate different stretches as phases of a plant’s life,” Yamutewa said. “Everyone would start out as a seed, in a kneeling position. As the seed grew, they would extend their arms out to mimic a plant growing. The leaders even added elements that could impact a plant’s life, such as dehydration and bad weather.”
This week, RHT activities will revolve around Earth Day. Next week, as the program comes to a close, the students will focus on ZYEP’s mobile garden and the many plants that call it home.
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