Institute of Atmospheric Sciences South Dakota School of Mines and Technology He Sapa Oyate Geosciences Community at the Heart of Everything That Is He

Institute of Atmospheric Sciences

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

He Sapa OyateHe Sapa Oyate: Geosciences Community at Geosciences Community at

the Heart of Everything the Heart of Everything That IsThat Is

By Dr. Donna Kliche

2008 Summer Cultural & 2008 Summer Cultural & Science Field ExperienceScience Field Experience



SDSM&T Goals1. Support community and school district efforts to

encourage American Indian students to graduate from high school, academically prepared to succeed in STEM disciplines at the college level.

2. Recruit American Indian students into the geoscience

programs at SDSM&T, and increase achievement and retention of these students.

3. Expose American Indian students and members of their extended families to geoscience career opportunities.

4. Raise geoscience awareness across the broader Black

Hills community.



Method of Approach • To Sponsor a series of camps for Lakota

youth from the Rapid City, SD, and surrounding areas.

• To utilize outdoor experiential learning to

integrate indigenous knowledge with contemporary western science.

• To encourage a geosciences learning community linked to culturally significant sites in the Black Hills.



Main Team Members(November 2007-August 2009)

Dr. Donna Kliche, PI, SDSM&TDr. Jacquelyn Bolman, original PI, Humboldt University

Dr. Larry Stetler, associate professor, Geology and Geological Engineering

(GGE) Department, SDSM&T

Jimmy Sanovia – graduate student in GGE Department, SDSM&T

Royia Decker, Director, Women in Science and Engineering Program.

Duane Hollow Horn Bear, faculty, Lakota History & Cultural Studies, SGU

Victor Douville, active dean, Lakota History & Cultural Studies, SGU

Ione Quigley, department chair, Lakota History & Cultural Studies, SGU

Kelly Lane – retired K-12 science teacher, Rapid City



4 camps, each 5 days long; start Sunday at 3pm, and end on Thursday at 5pm;

Camp 1: for High School students

Camp 2: for Middle School students

Camp 3: for mixed group.

Camp 4: for mixed group.

Structure of the camps



Unique approach

• Students could bring one parent/guardian/relative

• Participants interacted with a diverse team of geoscientists and educators to explore the scientific and cultural significance to important sites in and around the Black Hills area: Wind Cave, Harney Peak, Vore Buffalo Gap, Bear Butte, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devil’s Tower, Badlands.

• Both, the Lakota cultural interpretation as well as the science of the Black Hills were presented.

• Lakota language often used.



Brochures, Posters, SDSM&T website, local newspapers

Lakota Nation Invitational Tournaments, Civic Center, December 19-22, 2007

Phone calls to high school and middle school principals send information to Native American students in the school’s quarterly email

sent letters with brochures to all science teachers in SD School District;

Posters at RC Public Library, Sioux San Hospital, RC Civic Center, RC Central High School, North Rapid Middle School, Belle Fourche School, Pine Ridge Schools, Rosebud Schools.

Advertising the camps



Curriculum development

Activities were organized along four major themes:

Earth (Maká) - identifying and understanding the geology of the Black Hills and Badlands.

Fire (Peta) - the contemporary and historic roles of fire in the forest and prairie.

Water (Mni) - the function and importance of surface waters, aquifers, and hydrology.

Wind (Taté) - meteorology of the Black Hills, a unique climatological system of the Northern Great Plains.



The participants traveled to nine sites in the Black Hills

1

2

3

Harney PeakVore Buffalo Jump

Badlands

Wind Cave

Crazy Horse MemorialReynolds Prairie Site

456

7

8

9



• 1) Leather Pouch Science Kits:

• local business specializing in buffalo leather furniture, very generously donated buffalo leather for our participants.

• create a pouch to hold a science kit to be used in the field for science experiments.

– scissors, tweezers, magnifier, magnets, pH paper, thermometer, ruler, eyedropper, etc.

Projects



• 2) Camp Photo Project: Students were encouraged to take pictures of the sites and activities and create a ppt presentation.

• 3) Lakota Culture Project – The Time of the Seasons: A list of 30 questions about Lakota knowledge of astronomy.

• 4) Geosciences Field Project: Students were taught to prepare field assessments and drawings of the sites they visited, similar to what geology and geological engineering college students usually experience when out in the field.

• 5) Electromagnetic Spectrum Project: This project was designed to teach students the fundamentals of the electromagnetic spectrum using the hand-held reflectance spectrometer.

• 6) Weather Project: This was designed to familiarize students with meteorological data collected at various sites in the Black Hills.

Projects - continue



Projects - continue• 7) More than 30 science experiments by Kelly Lane:

– Water is sticky

– Bugs that walk on water

– Counting water

– Flight or Fancy? Mass of Air

– Fooling With Mother Gravity

– Get Steamed Up

– Your Lying Eyes

– Show Me a Million

– How Many Ways Do You Know North – Stream Velocity and Stream Flow Volume or Rate

– GPS activities



Lectures from SGU:Victor Douville, Duane Hollow Horn Bear, Ione Quigley

-Lakota Thought and Philosophy-A Universal View, -Lakota Astronomy, -Lakota Ceremonies, -He Sapa (Black Hills Sacred Sites), -Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Counts), -Lakota Leadership, -Lakota Social Systems, -Lakota History and Culture, -Oceti Sakowin (7 Council Fires), -Wolakota (treaties), -Lakota Conflicts and Wars-Study of plants in the Black Hills region from the Lakota perspective emphasizing the relationship, identification, management and different uses of the plant nation (flora)



Lectures/short presentations from SDSM&T

Light and Spectroscopy – the Basis for Remote Sensing, Dr. Ed Duke

FIRE, Dr. Randal Benson

Hand-Held Reflectance Spectrometer, Dr. Donna Kliche

Images from Space, from the Hubble Space Telescope, Tom Durkin

Star Lab Planetarium projecting Lakota constellations, Tom Durkin and Victor Douville

Introduction to Cloud Modeling, Dick Farley



Basic Camp StructureDay One - Sunday

• Sunday was for each camp the day of arrival.

•Basic introductions to the week's activities were made and the expectations of the campers were detailed.

•Both the Camp Photo project and the Leather Pouch project were initiated;

• only the Leather Pouch project was encouraged to be completed before the next day.

• It was hoped this time would provide an atmosphere which would allow the participants to grow comfortable with each other and the staff.



Driving 4 vans to Pine Ridge Reservation:– Royia Decker, Director, Women in Science

and Engineering Program.– Dr. Jacquelyn Bolman– Jimmy Sanovia– Dr. Donna Kliche

The start of the camps Sunday, June 1, 2008



Basic Camp StructureDay Two – Monday - Conference room format:

• Traditional Lakota Geosciences - Duane Hallow Horn Bear and Victor Douville, faculty members at SGU; • The Great Race Track (Black Hills Formation) and Western Geosciences - Jim Sanovia, graduate student in GGE Department, in collaboration with Dr. Larry Stetler, GGE at SDSM&T • Botany in Lakota Culture - Ione Quigley, faculty at SGU • Applied Science Experiments - Kelly Lane, retired teacher • Lakota Star Knowledge and Star Lab - Victor Douville, SGU, and Tom Durkin, SDSM&T • Evening, students worked on the Camp Photo project and the weather project; Tom Durkin made himself and his telescope available at nights, weather permitting, to view stars from the School of Mines Quad.


South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyBasic Camp Structure

Day Three – Tuesday – Trip in the Black Hills• Western science presentation, while the vans were prepared for the day trip; After that, participants were asked to fill out the daily survey for the previous day.

• The participants and professionals visited places in the Black Hills like Bear Butte (SD), Vore Buffalo Jump (WY) and Devils Tower (WY), which are considered sacred sites in Lakota Culture. The professionals engaged participants in discussions about the Lakota understanding of the geosciences and cultural relevance in parallel with the western geosciences knowledge. Thus, the concepts presented in the classroom were demonstrated in the field.

• The time in travel to Devils Tower (WY) was dedicated to sharing additional oral history and geosciences, allowing students to "experience" the Great Race Track. The Lakota astronomy concepts were also emphasized as these sites were visited. • In the evening students worked on the Camp Photo project and the weather project.



Basic Camp Structure

Day Four – Wednesday – Trip in the Black Hills

• Western science presentation, while the vans were prepared for the day trip; After that, participants were asked to fill out the daily survey for the previous day.

• The day trips of these camps varied from camp to camp: Camp 1 and 3 visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Crazy Horse Memorial while Camp 2 visited the Badlands National Park and Camp 4 visited the Reynolds Prairie site.

•In the evening students worked on the Camp Photo project and the weather project.



Basic Camp StructureDay Five – Thursday – Trip in the Black Hills

• Western science presentation, while the vans were prepared for the day trip; After that, participants were asked to fill out the daily survey for the previous day.

• Visit the Wind Cave National Park. Students were instructed on the Lakota cultural significance of the site and the Lakota Creation Story, as well as the geological features of the cave.

•A closing-up session, hosted at the Wind Cave site, provided a summary of the Lakota Cultural stories taught during the camp.

•The group returned to SDSMT campus before 5pm.



A field trip guidebook to science and cultural sites in the Black Hills;

Leather Pouch Science Kit T-shirt Bandana DVD with pictures taken

during camp. $80 certificate of participation

to camp

At the end of the camp, each participant received:



Basic Camp Structure

On Friday mornings, the organizers got together and discussed the experiences they had during the previous camp and ways to improve the next camps.

Day Six – Friday – Camp Review



This program was independently evaluated by Technology and Innovation in Education (T.I.E.). Mr. Matt Wiebe accompanied the He Sapa groups on several occasions as the evaluator and met with program organizers as a focus group during the month of camps. Mr. Wiebe was in charge of assembling the survey information and presenting the evaluation.

• The evaluation analyzes:• how well camp activities achieved grant outcomes, • how satisfied participants were at the end, and • what effect the camp had on the participants. • Fundamentally, the evaluation analyzed how well the camps goals were met.

Program Evaluation



Program Evaluation

Evaluation forms for the camps:

• Were prepared and finalized in collaboration with Mathew Wiebe, Technology & Innovation in Education, Rapid City, SD

•Start camp survey•Daily student survey•Daily adult survey•Daily teacher/presenter survey•Daily organizers survey•End camp survey



Program Evaluation by Technology & Innovation in

Education (TIE)Evaluation activities included: - three direct observations during two camps- focus group discussion- sets of surveys given to all camp participants and teachers

He Sapa Camps Participation

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4

Camps (June - 2008)

Nu

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Pa

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ipa

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Total Nr. Participants

Parent/Guardian

Students

HS MS Mix Mix



Project Goals:

1) To improve access for American Indians to geoscience education.

- these camps were first exposure for many of the students.

- the majority of students showed an increased awareness of geosciences and willingness to explore the sciences further.

- the success is due greatly to the integration of the geosciences with their own Lakota culture.

- many students had never visited the sites included in the camps.

Program Evaluation



Project Goals - continue

2) To enhance retention and academic success of American Indian geoscience students.

- the students were continuously introduced to and interacted with American Indian researchers, scientists and professionals throughoutthe camps.

- the parent/guardian participation and presence proved to be an enrichment to the lessons and activities (still their enrolment was low).

- the data shows that the parent/guardians themselves benefited from the cultural and geosciences exposure.

Program Evaluation



Project Goals - continue

3) To provide information on career opportunities to American Indians interested in the geosciences.

- the students were introduced to many American Indian individuals who are active in geosciences and related fields.

- the students participated in a variety of on-site research experiencesand exploration.

- in the American Indian culture of the Lakota, a deep respect is afforded to those of elder status. Many presenters for the Lakota camps are Lakota elders.

Program Evaluation



“I just wanted to send you a quick note ... to let you know how much my son enjoyed the camp. He absolutely learned so much.... He came home so excited about everything he learned. He couldn't wait to share the stories, history, science and language with everyone. He is looking forward to participating in the science fair.”

“Hello and Thank you everyone who made it possible for my son and I to attend the He Sapa Bloketu Woecun camp. It was a wonderful experience and we look forward to next summer. The camp has helped my son decide what he wants to go to school for. College is a must for him and thank you all once again for the wonderful opportunity!!!! Many thanks!!!”

ConclusionsGreat feedback from participants!



“I just wanted to thank you for everything and for this wonderful opportunity that I have had working with these kids and staff. It was a great group and you can see that you have devoted countless hours in making it happen. For that I want to thank you! It was a wonderful learning experience for me and a real blessing. I enjoyed it tremendously!! Sure there were some minor glitches here and their, but we can all learn from them and continue to move forward. … I can honestly say that working with them the past couple of weeks that it's not one kid’s life that has been changed, but several!! They were wonderful and even though I was getting paid I'd do it for free...because the real reward is not in what monetary gains I might get, but rather in what each of us (students and staff) has been able to teach one another! “

ConclusionsGreat feedback from the students hired to help!



Video from Camp 3 made by Annie Rock – Middle School Student from Rapid City!

HeSapaSummerCamp.wmv

SDSM&T website: http://atm.sdsmt.edu/47769/

Documents

Institute of Atmospheric Sciences South Dakota School of Mines and Technology He Sapa Oyate Geosciences Community at the Heart of Everything That Is He