This browser does not support the Video element.
Students learning about native American culture
Students learning about native American culture
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- As children listened, learned, and even danced, they got to experience a culture many of them knew little about.
"They're just like us, but they do different stuff than us," says 10-year-old Evan Ploeckelman.
Each year, Indian Summer Festival hosts Education Day.
This gives students an up-close and hands-on lesson in Native American history.
'This is an opportunity for them to explore all of our culture, our history, our languages, our traditional foods, and ask questions and engage," says Indian Summer Festival Vice-President Jacqueline Schram.
More than 3,000 students from nearly 100 schools explored the grounds learning the Native American way of life.
"They're dancing over there and they're moving their feet to massage Mother Earth`s ground," says Ploeckelman.
"I think that it's pretty cool that they live in tepees and I kind of want to live in a teepee to see what it's like," says 9-year-old Serafina Weist.
This event also promotes Act 31, which is legislation that requires Wisconsin schools to include Native American history in grades 4, 8, and 10.
"It is an act that is very near and dear to our hearts. We try to provide that kind of information here on the grounds for teachers to bring back to their classrooms," says Schram.
Many teachers were thrilled to take advantage of this opportunity.
"Indian Summer Festival and many things we do throughout the year really promote understanding of our differences but also of our common threads and that helps us to be united," says U.S. Grant Elementary School teacher Michele Hilbert.
Providing an important and hopefully life-long lesson of acceptance.