Native American Heritage Month at Tonalea Day School

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and honor the rich cultures, traditions and contributions of Indigenous Nations and people across the United States. 

Tonalea Day School serves students from the Navajo and Paiute Tribes. The staff takes pride in offering its students a rich experience throughout the month so they can share what being a Tribal citizen means to them and express their individuality as Indigenous youth. 

“Celebrating Native American Heritage Month helps the students identify to who they,” said Cheryl Kaye, Principal at Tonalea Day School. “We as a village share with the students stories of their heritage, cultural customs, traditions and the language of their ancestors.”

Tonalea Day School celebrates Native American heritage year-round. Each Month the school holds Native American Week, where students dress in traditional clothing, enjoy special guest speakers, learn to play ancestral games, and share special stories.

Part of the Bureau of Indian Education’s mission is to provide culturally relevant curriculum to students, which means highlighting and recognizing Native identity and its importance in an educational environment. That curriculum is taught year-round at Tonalea Day School – not just one month in the fall. 

“You can see that having Native American Week each month has made a lasting impact on our students,” Kaye said. “More female students are dressing in their traditional clothes during the regular school week and when they travel for sporting events. More male students are wearing their hair in buns and putting on a scarf.”

During the academic year, Tonalea Day School students celebrate their culture each day with an hour dedicated to speaking their native language and learning important cultural lessons. Students often cook and serve traditional Navajo foods and enjoy cultural dress days such as moccasin day and clan day. 

School staff places a special focus on the importance of integrating traditional and non-traditional foods to build a healthy lifestyle. Staff aims encourage healthy habits in students’ day-to-day lives and educate them on how making healthy food choices can prevent food related illness in their future. 

By integrating cultural learning with school curriculum, Tonalea Day school hopes to inspire their students to work hard and become leaders in their Tribes and communities. Focusing on their Native heritage helps the students carry pride for their culture and valuable life lessons with them wherever they go in the future.