Rochester Public Schools honor Indigenous graduates
May 4—ROCHESTER — Dancing, drumming and singing filled the gymnasium at Mayo High School for the Rochester Public Schools' annual graduation celebration powwow.
This year's powwow was the seventh celebration powwow and the third time since the pandemic.
"A powwow is really a big celebration and this one is specifically to honor our high school graduates," said Tucker Quetone, a Native American liaison for Rochester Public Schools. "That's the main reason that we're getting together, but in addition to that, it's just a time for our community to be together to dress in our traditional regalia, to practice our ceremonies, our songs and dances, just be together. Then, of course, to invite the broader community to be a part of it and enjoy it with this."
During the powwow, the high school graduates participated in a feathering ceremony to celebrate their accomplishments. They will also go through this same ceremony when they graduate college.
"It's an honor to receive a feather and it's something that you keep with you all the time after that, just as a reminder of what you accomplished, but also all our relatives are represented in that feather that they're walking with the graduates to the next part of their lives," said Quetone. "They have permission by the state and by the school district to wear that at their graduations."
The powwow included performances of traditional drumming and dancing and vendor stalls. Some dancers traveled from all over the state.
Thomas Cain Jr. was one of the dancers in attendance. Cain Jr. is 72 and has been attending powwows for as long as he could walk.
"I think from just being around it and getting the drumbeat down, it just becomes second nature," said Cain Jr. "There's not a choreographer that shows you how to dance. That drum will show you how to dance and it just takes you when you start dancing. It'll take you and you really don't want to stop until the drum stops. So as the drum is taking you, it's like you're lifting off the ground and then the drum stops. You come down and come out of that trance sort of because that drum is so powerful."
Cain Jr. does non bustle grass dancing. His traditional outfit has strips of fabric to simulate grass dancing. In history, the dancer's job was to flatten the grass. When he dances, the fabric sways back and forth like tall grass in the wind.
"These are traditions that have been going on for hundreds of years and it's good to bring those back to life to hear our languages being spoken, the drum songs, the dancing, and just put it all together reminds us of our long history of our ancestors who sacrificed so much for us to be here and that we can now carry that forward into the future," said Quetone.
