On Monday, November 24th, students enrolled in College Regional Studies met with the Montauketts and Shinnecocks. College Regional Studies is a dual enrollment course offered to Wheatley students by Stony Brook University, and is taught by Dr. Staudt. Typically senior students take this course and the students are engaged in learning about New York State history through class discussions, projects, as well as in-person learning experiences. Through the event held where students were able to have conversations with Native Americans, students engaged in discussion about their language and ways of life. As I was personally able to attend, this was a very educational and meaningful experience.
Four Native Americans visited The Wheatley School and the information they shared was very interesting. For instance, the Native Americans said they all work together, travel together, and are even related. A classmate of mine asked a Native American how she is related to the other, and the woman explained they are third cousins but call each other “sister cousins,” demonstrating their relationship as truly important. Hearing this, gave me more insight on their values of close relationships. This same woman showed the students a book with many photos she had taken. One page was dedicated to her family. After hearing about her relationship with the other woman and seeing the page of family photos, it became apparent that core values of Native Americans are family and community.
Something I was curious about prior to meeting with the Native Americans was their living situation. I did have prior knowledge the tribes live in the Shinnecock Reservation. This reservation is located on the East End of Long Island, NY. I was curious what the reservation was like so I asked one of the Native Americans about it. She explained she lives with just her mother in a house on the reservation. Additionally, she mentioned all the houses within the reservation are close to each other and she walks to her “sister cousin’s” house all the time. Other common ways of transportation among the Native Americans include biking and riding horses. Occasionally, they drive cars.
One of the Native Americans I spoke to was passionate about photography. We were able to see a variety of photos he has taken. The class was able to see different places he has traveled to and images inside the reservation. I enjoyed viewing the photography, which made the experience more engaging.
For students in Wheatley’s College Regional Studies course, this was an excellent opportunity to explore more about Native Americans and have questions answered. I learned that a lot of Native Americans use raw materials like trees and animals to make appliances and clothing. This experience gave students the opportunity to talk to each of the four Native Americans face-to-face, which was enlightening. If you are interested in taking College Regional Studies, this would be an interesting experience for you!