Meneley hosts Native American Day

Wa-Pai-Shone, a coalition of local Washoe, Paiute and Shoshone tribes, hosted Native American Day at Meneley Elementary School Friday.

The event featured traditional Indian dances, Indian structures and a pine nut processing presentation, among other things.

Matthew Horse, a 16-year-old of Washoe, Paiute and Shoshone Indian from Pyramid Lake Jr/Sr High School, wore traditional clothing as he prepared to dance for students. He wore leather moccasins and leather flaps around his waist, a bone breast plate, a deer-hide shield on his forearm and a feather headband to top it off. Horse said he would be performing a traditional war dance.

Eighteen-year-old Kaela Horse wore brighter, more ethereal garments. She said she would be performing a fancy shawl dance that mimics the movement of a butterfly.

"I'll move my arms a lot and stay light on my feet," Horse said.

Third-grade students flooded the gym and joined the dancers for a traditional round dance. The students held hands and moved around in a giant circle, dancing to the beat of Indian drums and chants.

Outside, sixth-graders checked out traditional Indian structures set up on the playground. One was called a Galisdongal, a tepee-type structure made out of cedar wood traditionally used by natives in the Tahoe Basin. The other was called a willow sunshade, a lean-to structure made of willow found in river valleys.

"They're cool. They didn't have the supplies we have," said sixth-grader Andrea Baracosa. "But I wouldn't want to live in one. They look too cold."

Behind the structures, Richard Painter of the Washoe Tribe was busy showing students how to prepare pine nuts.

"There were no grocery stores," Painter said. "Natives had to prepare food before winter using stuff that grew naturally here in the Valley."

Using traditional pans made of willow and sweet grass and a pestle and mortar made from native stone, Painter showed students how Indians ground gathered pine nuts and processed the flour for pine nut bread and soup.

"It's really interesting to know how to live in the winter," said sixth-grader Heath Sunseri.

Washoe Tribe Education Director Sherry Smokey said she has been organizing Native American events at schools in the Valley for 20 years.

"We want to teach students and teachers too about Native American culture," said Smokey. "This is their (Native Americans) day to shine and keep traditions going."