On Thursday, November 13, about 350 students from John Hopkins Elementary School, Smilow Prep, and Kirksey Middle School attended Native American Heritage Day at the Two Mississippi Museums. The event included activities such as dance performances, stickball games, and storytelling. Members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians led these sessions.
The Mystic Wind Choctaw Social Dancers performed in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium. They explained the meaning of their dances and the drum, which they said represents the heartbeat of each dancer. Students and teachers were invited to participate in the dances to learn more about Choctaw traditions.
Trey Cotton, a social studies teacher at Kirksey Middle School, said that activities like playing stickball help students connect classroom lessons to Native American heritage in Mississippi…