Students Showcase Work During Fashion Show

A large crowd featuring many parents and other relatives gathered for a fashion show and celebration of talents presented by Fort Peck Tribal Health and Northside School’s Indian Education For All program on Thursday, March 5.

The presentation featured 155 students in third through fifth grade showing their ribbon skirts or shirts that they created during Indian Education for All classes. The show was held in the Wolf Point High School gym.

“We did it,” Joetta Allrunner- Fourstar, a training coordinator for tribal health, excitedly said prior to the performance highlighting ribbon skirts and shirts. “We finished all of them. It took us three weeks.”

Northside School Principal Georgie Gourneau was impressed with the success of the project.

“The kids got to experience their culture,” Gourneau said.

She noted that the students got a chance to create their own attire. She said another highlight was learning indigenous dances from Winona Runs Above.

Phoebe Blount, project director for the Fort Peck Tribes’ Garrett Lee Smith suicide prevention project, said the fashion show provides students with a sense of belonging and increased self-esteem.

“I’m very happy that we have involved the youth with their culture,” Blount said.

She said the project was made possible financially by funds from multi sources.

“We thank the Fort Peck tribes for supporting us,” Blount said.

Nakona Heavy Runner served as the emcee for the show. Lance Fourstar provided the prayer song. Fashion show director was Andrew Shane Moran.

Patricia Payne is the instructor for the Indian Education For All Program at Northside.

Units covered have included Sitting Bull and the Battle of Little Bighorn, Tananka, and now ribbon skirts and shirts.