Rudyard Area Schools builds new learning lodge
RUDYARD — Just outside Rudyard High School, a traditional learning lodge is becoming a permanent structure for students interested in cultural education.
The learning lodge is being built this week with the help of many volunteers, including students.
With more than 40 percent of their students identifying as Native American, Rudyard Area Schools hopes to maintain cultural education by introducing programs such as the learning lodge.
Traditionally, tribes built structures to serve different purposes, such as sweat lodges and other ceremonial buildings. The building process continues to be passed down in order to maintain the cultural practice.
The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians sponsors many different forms of cultural education, but programs such as the learning lodge will provide a permanent fixture to host classes.
Classes can include traditional practices, historical lessons and curriculum for regular classes framed through cultural education.
"We can teach them things like how to pluck a porcupine, how to make corn in our traditional way, how to parch wild rice," said Jackie Minton, tribal youth services coordinator. "Many other teachings will be coordinated to go alongside students' curriculum for classes."
In the future, the lodge will be the base for new classes to bring students from across the tribal area to learn and pass on many of the cultural teachings that are lost to the greater public.
"My next dream is to get our kids in programs here so that they know to take pride in who they are as a nationality," said Minton.
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The skeleton of the lodge is formed by maple saplings tied together to create a rib-like overhang. Over the saplings a tarp is thrown to provide cover.
Traditional lodges can last for a few years before they naturally fall apart. Support from local farmers will allow the lodge to be repaired on a regular basis with new saplings, lengthening the lifespan of the lodge.
The lodge will be completed by Monday, Oct. 9, after which point teachers from the area will get a chance to visit the lodge and smoke traditional tobacco pipe before the lodge opens for public use.
"I have so many teachers telling me they want to bring their classes out there and it will be open for everybody," said Minton. "This will be a place where all children will be able to come in and learn in a different kind of environment."
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Rudyard schools' new learning lodge to aid cultural education
