For Native American Heritage Month, Chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion DeWayne Street invited Tracy Edwards, a special education teacher at Akin Elementary, to speak about her journey and the significance of the month.
This On the Street: A #1LISD Journey podcast series serves as an opportunity to continue the conversation around educational access and to highlight our efforts around increasing cultural competency for Leander ISD staff. Our work is about bringing people into the conversation.
Episode 2 – Native American Heritage Month with Tracy Edwards
DeWayne asks Tracy to share a little bit about her journey (01:10). Later, DeWayne and Tracy have a conversation centered around:
- Growing Up Native American (02:31)
- Rock Your Mocs Week (06:12)
- Family History (07:21)
- Critical Issues Facing Native Americans Today (13:22)
- Importance of the Month (16:46)
- Who Tracy Admired Growing Up (20:16)
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Below, you will find a transcript of the episode.
Conversation
DeWayne Street
Good afternoon, friends. Welcome back to On the Street, the LISD DEI podcast. This is episode number two. And I am honored to be here as we observe Native American Heritage Month with Tracy Edwards, one of our great educators here in Leander ISD, currently an ICAP [Individual Community Academic Program] teacher here at Akin Elementary School.
So Tracy, welcome.
Tracy Edwards
Thanks for having me.
Street
Now, we’re honored to have you. I look forward to just a really good conversation.
I want to learn some things about you growing up as a native person, some of the things that you’ve been able to share with your family, and then we can share some of those things with our district. All in the spirit of increasing cultural competency.
Edwards
I love it.
Street
Alright. So I have a couple questions. And the questions I want to use more as prompts and less as guardrails. So please feel free to chime in and share anything that you like to share in addition to what I’m asking.
Edwards
OK, sounds good.
About Tracy and her journey
Street
Alright. So our first question is: please tell us about yourself and about your journey to this point in life.
Edwards
Well, as we said, I’m Tracy Edwards. I’m a wife, a mom, I’m a grandma, and I am also a special education teacher. I teach ICAP here at Akin Elementary. I’ve been with the district seven years, a little over seven years now, and I worked the entire time in the low incidence disability.
So I’ve taught ICAP, I’ve taught SLE [Structured Learning Environment] and I’ve also been an instructional coach as well, excuse me, instructional aide as well. And it’s a very rewarding job. I wouldn’t probably do anything else. I love it.
Before that, I moved here from Kansas, where I was really a resource instructional assistant while I was getting my degree, because this is actually my second profession.
Street
Yes, we were talking before. You were actually in banking for a while.
Ewards
Yes. I started out very young, and I worked my way up to an assistant vice president at a local bank where I’m from, all on a high school diploma.
So I had a lot of work to do once I decided to change jobs.
Street
Well, we are very fortunate to have you here. And I know your students are benefiting daily from having you as their teacher.
Growing up Native American
Street
So question No. 2: Can you tell us what it was like growing up as a Native American? Were there any challenges? And if so, how did you address those challenges?
Edwards
Yeah, absolutely. Well, first of all, I will tell you that I’m Ioway, Otoe and Cherokee. I come from more than one tribe because my family, almost all anyway, attended an Indian residential boarding school.
Street
That was just amazing to me that we’re so close to that experience.
Edwards
Yeah, absolutely. And for those that don’t know what that is, in the late 1800s, it started more as a mission with religious sectors but then became law where they would remove children and Native American children from their homes and their families, move them to a boarding school far away, and they lived there and many tribes all together. So what brings my family together is they all met there. So yeah, that was them.
Myself, I actually grew up, … I have fond memories of my childhood. You know, a big part of my ancestry is we’re big storytellers. We love to talk about what happened in the past. We love folktales and things like that. And I, I grow fondly on the memories I have of, even my dad to this day, but my grandparents and my great grandparents sharing stories from their time in school or before that. And their little folktales and funny little things.
And that’s something that I hold really near and dear to my heart. And I’ve now since, of course, passed it on to my kids and to my grandkids when they’re a little older because I do have little ones.
Street
But so you pass the stories on and also parts of the culture as well.
Edwards
Yes.
Street
And I love the fact that, you know, you’re passing it on. Obviously there – and I don’t presume to speak for you – there were challenges, but you are passing on, also, that there was so much good about your childhood and about learning about who you were. And I think that’s important for all students.
Edwards
Yeah, I was really lucky. Where I’m from in Kansas, we had a really great intertribal community that even to this day still creates opportunities to share and learn from each other. You know, shawl-making, bead-working, drumming, and my absolute favorite, powwow, going to powwow.
Street
Why is that your favorite?
Edwards
It is such an incredible experience if you’ve never gone before.
Street
I haven’t.
Edwards
Well, there’s one this weekend, actually.
Street
Oh, really?
Edwards
Yes, down in Travis County. It’s the 30th-annual Austin-area powwow. But it’s a gathering, and it’s usually very intertribal because we’re all kind of mixed together at this point. And it’s a lot of things. It’s honoring, it’s presentation, it’s different.
And just it’s a lot of different dancing. I, myself, grew up as a traditional cloth dancer. There are all kinds of different styles of dance. And then that comes with different styles of regalia. We don’t call it costume, we call it regalia. And it’s such an incredible experience to be a part of the drum. There’s more than one drum, oftentimes, with different beats and different songs. And it’s a great experience to be a part of.
Street
And what kind of dancer did you grow up?
Edwards
I grew up as a traditional cloth. It’s more of a slow dance. Your movements are very calculated. You move with a certain beat of the drum. You stop with a certain beat of the drum.
And that’s the …
Street
Very precise.
Edwards
Yes, yes, exactly.
Rock Your Mocs Week
Street
Wow. And so – and we were talking before we started our time here today – please explain the shoes that you’re wearing, too.
Edwards
Well, I am wearing my pair of moccasins. My son made these when he was about 16. It is Rock Your Mocs week. That’s something that a lot of us do in the Native American community. We represent our culture by expressing it through things like that.
And my son is very creative. I don’t know how, but he made these handmade, embossed them, and everything. And they’re just my favorite. I love them.
It’s something that I wanted to make sure as my kids were getting older that they were learning and being able to share those opportunities of creating things within our culture. It’s very important. He’s gone on and made plenty more.
Because of the powwow this weekend, I’ve made what we call ribbon shirts for my grandsons. And then I made one for my oldest son, too, so they can all match.
Street
I love that.
Family History
Street
And so I wanted to double back and just talk a little bit more about the schools that your family attended. So part of the rationale behind these schools was to separate the native children, not only physically, but also culturally.
Edwards
Yeah.
Street
And the fact that your family held onto its culture and its history, I think, is something that is remarkable in the face of all that. It’s something I’d like for you to just talk a little bit more about, about what some of the things that you learned and why that was so important to you as you were growing up.
Edwards
Yeah, absolutely. Well, the generations in my family, you know, like I said, we go back pretty far as far as being able to attend these schools.
Street
There’s a picture that you share with us going back to like 1921, ‘22.
Edwards
Yes.
Street
That’s your grandfather, right?
Edwards
Yes. And the school that my family all went to is Chilocco Indian School. That’s what it’s called. And it is in Newkirk, Oklahoma. It’s just right off the border of Kansas and Oklahoma. And there are people in the family that were not very friendly on talking about things. And then there were some that didn’t mind at all.
I learned a lot from my grandmother. I learned how to cook from her. I learned how to make fried bread from her. And then my dad as well. And I learned to dance and be, you know, present in my culture, really, because of her. She, she made me feel like I shouldn’t be ashamed or worry about, you know, any of those preconceived notions that some generations had already felt.
Street
And I think that’s important. I know I think about, as an African-American, there were times when we were reticent to talk about our journey and our history in this country because there was a lot of stigma and shame attached to it. But there’s a certain liberation that comes not only for the group but for the individual the more you know about your culture.
Because when I see you, there’s like this confidence and this aura of “I know who I am, I know where I come from, and because of that, I know my place here. And my place is the place that I decide for it to be.” Because when I saw you this afternoon, I could tell you’re that person that the knowledge of self that you have is almost something that people, it’s almost infectious. And so I’m so glad that you’re sharing this with us today.
Edwards
I appreciate that. Thank you.
Street
Oh, it comes across very well. And that’s what I want for our students, right? I mean, I want all of us to know that who we are, we should be proud of. Because if we can’t be proud of who we are, then how can we stand up for someone else?
Edwards
Exactly. Exactly. You know, and that’s what I do every day, especially as a special education teacher. I’m advocating for all of their opportunities, but I’m also advocating for them to be as independent as possible and take on those challenges with as minimal insertion of myself or anyone else. That’s the reality is one day we may not be here for them to do that.
So I want them to learn it now.
Street
I love that because I talk a lot about transfer of ownership, right? We want our students, we want to transfer the ownership of their success to them.
And I love what you just said because we’re not always going to be there. And that’s why I want to give students everything that we have. So then while we’re not there, they can keep moving.
And so that’s why the work that you’re doing as a teacher and keeping the culture and the history alive of the people that you come from is so important, not only to me, but I’m sure anyone who’s listening because we all can identify with that.
Edwards
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
Street
And so we’re very lucky to have you here in Leander ISD.
Edwards
Thank you.
Street
And one of the things we were talking about, too, which we were talking about the reservation, not the reservation schools, but the schools that your family went to. The irony of you being a native person, me being an African-American, and the 9th and 10th Cavalry or Buffalo soldiers being used to remove Native people from their lands right after the Civil War. That is something that, as a historian, I’m always just, it causes me to pause, you know. And I understand they were soldiers, and I get that. But the irony between one marginalized group being used to remove another marginalized group is a part of our history that I think all of us should learn from.
Edwards
Yes, absolutely. Yeah, that’s definitely true. You know, the thought of the … Well, here’s the thing. You know, it’s a bad saying, but it is a reality. It was, you know, “save the man, kill
the Indian.” That was what was said to remove a person physically from their homeland and put them in a place where they’re unaware of how to survive and become reliant on whoever it is that brought them there.
You know, it’s truly, it’s hard. It’s hard to hear, as an American, as someone who, you know, I’m married to a veteran myself. But it really did happen. We can learn from it.
Street
That’s it. That’s the key.
Edwards
And we can, we can make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
Street
And we do that by keeping our history alive. And the last thing I’ll say about that is, I’m a big proponent of keeping history alive because history should not be weaponized, nor should it be sanitized because if we sanitize it, we lose perspective. And if we weaponize it, we lose
the narrative because people, they resist. So it’s all about just telling a story.
Edwards
Yes. So, so true.
Critical Issues Facing Native Americans Today
Street
And so I want to move on to our next question. As an indigenous person, what do you see as some of the critical issues facing Native Americans today? If you could especially focus on education
and youth, that would be terrific.
Edwards
Yeah, absolutely. It’s something that has probably been, it has been an issue for a hundred to 150 years now, and it is the loss of culture. And we’ve kind of touched on that a little bit already, but through assimilation and through the challenges that have happened over the years, there have been so many laws stacked against Native Americans to create these divides within the culture that it’s still occurring.
To be honest with you, people lose themselves because they’re not aware of the culture that they could be a part of.
Street
I completely agree.
Edwards
You know, I, I get this a lot. If somebody will find out I’m Native American, “Oh, I think my,
I think I’m a Native American. I think I’m, my grandma was.” And right there, that says a lot.
Obviously, I’m glad that you’re interested and that it has piqued a conversation, but what tribe do you believe you belong to? If it is something that happened, let’s go deeper. Let’s find out what it is. Because in that sense, it’s not really served you in making you a better person because you’ve not known what could be in store for you, culturally.
Street
That’s phenomenal. It is true. I mean, I think we have to all know who we are and where we come from in order to determine where we need to go, right? I think that’s so true.
When I was teaching African-American history, that was probably the most cathartic experience that I had, because I learned so much about me and about the contributions of African-Americans that it gave me a sense of self and confidence that I’m okay being the only one in the room if it comes down to that. Because I know, based on the history, other people who look like me have already been there. And so I don’t feel this need to demonstrate anything other than who I am in that moment.
Edwards
That’s wonderful.
Street
And to me, that’s the beauty of understanding culture and history and knowing who you are.
Edwards
Yeah, you yourself are a reflection of the resistance that may have needed to occur prior to you just being here.
Street
That is, that is wonderful. Someone said something to me, Tracy, they called it honorable resistance. I love that. And so because of that resistance, you’re right, I have the opportunity to be in this space. And then I honored that by making sure that I teach those who are coming after me what it means and the culture and the history to be an African-American.
Edwards
So much so.
Street
And it’s not that there’s one way to be, but I think that culture and that history can open up ways of deeper understanding for the individual.
Edwards
Definitely, gosh yeah.
Street
Alright. So moving on and thank you so much. I mean, I love your last answer.
Importance of the Month
Street
In your opinion, why is it important to observe Native American Heritage Month and what are the lessons we all could heed from this observance?
Edwards
This is a good question. In my opinion, it is important for all of us to celebrate Native American Heritage Month for two reasons.
The first one being it’s definitely something I’ve grown to realize since moving to Texas – and I don’t know if it’s just this is a big space – that there’s definitely a need for awareness, though. We are still here. I can tell you there’s been quite a few times that it’s been a surprising factor for someone to know that there are Native Americans in their communities. It’s important for people to know that not only are there thriving and flourishing communities of Native Americans in reservations and encampments in rural communities, but also in your urban areas, like here, where we are.
I mentioned a little bit, there’s a big powwow this weekend. It’s the 30th anniversary of this powwow in the Austin area. So it just goes to show you that there’s still very much a lot. And it’s packed. It’s always packed.
Street
I have no doubt.
Edwards
But the second reason it’s always important for us all, too, is because there’s definitely, in my opinion, a need for accurate history for Native Americans.
I think we all understand that there are pre-colonial, pre-settler Native Americans. We teach it in here. Where we stand today, it was the Tankawa, and then it was Jumanos. But what about between that time and to today? There’s so much that has occurred, so many laws that have been made and killed and revamped to either help or hinder the Native American communities. There’s been so much, as I mentioned, my family going to boarding school. This is a boarding school that even in the ’60s was still alive and active. And my dad spoke of after he graduated, he worked there. And even in the ’60s, there were students that were coming there from Alaska. And this was in Oklahoma.
That’s something that I don’t think anybody really realizes or understands. Right now, there’s a pretty important blockbuster movie out about the Osage murders, a place where, first of all, my parents met. But one thing to tie it into Texas, Texas Rangers were a part of bringing that down and then ultimately forming the FBI. These are things that are a part of our history because it’s American history.
Street
That’s it.
Edwards
But they kind of get skipped over because it’s not as, maybe, I don’t know, exciting or not as a reflection of good. So those were definitely, I think, in my opinion, why we all need to celebrate.
Street
I completely agree. And I think that, you know, knowing the more we can learn about history of all people, the more we find the connective tissue between all of us, right?
Edwards
Definitely.
Street
So you’re speaking my language as a historian.
Who Tracy Admired Growing Up
Street
So our final question, who did you admire the most when you were growing up and why this person?
Edwards
Well, I actually admired both of my parents. My dad is a retired police officer. For 40 years, he was in law enforcement, and he’s a big guy and has the stoic, what we call a Native American face, that just people, he commanded respect. I’m sure he didn’t need to do a whole lot because it just came about him. And I feel like, maybe, I just want a little slither of that. He’s, yeah. To me, he’s a big teddy bear. To my sister and I, he’s a big teddy bear. I got whatever I want. But everyone else, he was real, real serious.
I also really admire my mother. You know, my mother was also in the, she was in the private sector before she retired. But she was a 911 dispatcher and then moved into running several different 911 communities. And that’s a realm where back then it was heavily male dominated. And my mother, she flourished. She thrived. And to this day, as a retired person, she’s still called upon, consulted with when it comes to public safety because of who she is and where she comes from. So I, I owe who I am to them. And I appreciate all the lessons. They both gave me.
Street
Definite trailblazers. Both of them. So Tracy’s anything else you like to add? I mean, it has just been an absolute treasure to visit with you today.
Edwards
Thank you. I appreciate that. I appreciate you talking to me. It is something that, you know, obviously, this is an important piece to me. I try to live in my culture every day. I don’t maybe don’t wear moccasins every day, but I do try and make sure that, you know, my number one goal is that my kids and my grandkids will carry on the things that I’ve learned and I can teach them.
Street
And that’s a wonderful way to close it now, you just passing it on to the next generation, right?
Edwards
Yes.
Street
Well, thank you so much for being our second guest on our second-ever podcast.
Edwards
I appreciate that. Thank you.
Street
Thank you, Tracy.
