Lakota and Sicangu tribal members perform for Offutt

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachelle Blake
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Each powerful strike of covered mallet to drum is felt through the audience. Its strength and passion is said to represent the heartbeat of Mother Earth, calling the spirits and nations together.

Around its base sit four Native Americans from Omaha, a city whose name means "people against the current." Adorned in colorful dress, they chant and sing in harmony, starting slow and steady and gradually increasing their speed and volume, adding to the intensity in the room.

Several feet away, two young native women perform traditional dances, rhythmically jumping and spinning while mimicking butterflies in flight. Together they bring a powerful presence to the Native American Heritage Month Cultural Information Fair and Expo held Nov. 18 at the Patriot Club.

"It has been several years since we've emphasized our observance of Native American Heritage month and it is groundbreaking to work with local tribe members in an outreach capacity," said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Chastity Matheny, the program lead for the Offutt Diversity Team. "Today we were able to give Team Offutt members the opportunity to witness age-old traditions that define the Native American culture."

Matheny herself is Native American. Seeing the performers dance and sing reminded her of her childhood and her mother, and she was overcome with emotion.

"As a member of the North Carolina Cherokee tribe, I felt it was my responsibility to highlight the vast and rich heritage of the Native American people," she said. "Also, I wanted to take this opportunity to better educate myself and others about the numerous tribes of the plains people and their contributions to the local community."

In Nebraska alone are four reservations, with the event's performers hailing from the Sicangu Tribe and the Lakota Tribe. Their narrator, Nicole Tamayo, is extremely active in the native community and was eager to bring awareness to the base.

"Cante waste nape ciyuzapo," she said. "I am coming to you with an open heart."

Tamayo's primary job is with the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition where she works toward helping natives with suicide and substance abuse.

"One of the greatest protective factors we can give our youth is their cultural history and background," she said.

She is also extremely active in the Omaha Public Schools, where she says there are more than 1,300 native students, several of which make up her Native American performance group. Ranging in age from 4th grade to middle school, the performers are taught the customary song and dance from near-birth.

"Most of our youth start dancing from the time they can walk," Tamayo said. "The songs are not written down, but learned from hearing them over and over again."

One of the young men joked that he had nearly 300 songs in his head. It is this jovial attitude and enthusiasm from the kids that keeps Tamayo passionate.

"(These opportunities) give them a leadership role," Tamayo said. "It empowers them to tell their story."

Also amongst the festivities were several artifacts from the Durham Museum including braided sweet grass used in insulation of structures, sinew used as thread or for attaching arrowheads to a shaft and a buffalo bladder used as a canteen.

"These particular items would have been used by a number of Plains Indian tribes, one in particular would have been the Omaha tribe, which had villages in this part of our state," said John Sullivan, the Education Specialist and Blended Learning Manager at the Durham Museum. "Items such as the buffalo bladder and sinew showcase how important the buffalo were. The sweet grass shows how important using the natural resources were for the Native Americans. By focusing on such day-to-day items like these, we are able to get a better understanding of why Nebraska and the Great Plains as a whole were such great places to settle."
 .
Sullivan said the museum's overarching goal is to help spread the story of the area's rich history.

"Without individuals and groups showing interest in history, both local and national, we would find it a difficult task to spread the message of our stories," said Sullivan. A relationship like this also helps open doors for sharing our history with groups of people who may not be familiar with, or may not have the opportunities, to learn why our state and city are so unique."

It is that same passion that Matheny hopes to pass on to members of Team Offutt.

"I am hoping the event piqued the curiosity of individuals in attendance and that it inspired them to delve into the history and heritage of what America was ultimately created from," Matheny said.