Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Visit Comanche Academy Charter School

On Wednesday, September 17, Comanche Academy Charter School was visited by the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes’ education department to set up their own charter school.

Principal and Superintendent of the Comanche Academy Charter School Shannon Foye said a Comanche Nation tribal member is involved with the project and is using Comanche Academy as a foundation for the Cheyenne and Arapaho charter school.

“The things I hope that they learn from us today is part of our holistic teaching and our cultural responsive and sustaining strategies that we use during the daytime,” she said.

This included a morning ceremony that began the day with morning war cry announcements, as in daily announcements, reading of the lunch menu, singing songs and other activities.

“And then what they witnessed from there was our morning ceremony,” Foye said. “So, they saw how we've revamped it just a little bit to tie into our Comanche teachings, or Numunu teachings, so we're honoring, you know, the powwow style a little bit more.”

They had a round dance, gourd dance, grand entry and intertribal.

“Each class got to do a highlight, so they had a role to play to share with the visitors today,” she said. “And from there, they're going to see our specials and how our special classes are all in Numu. So, the music class, they're learning Comanche history, song and dance. The PE class that they get to visit, they're going to be seeing that we're integrating Comanche language and athleticism together.”

The tribes visited classrooms to see how language and culture are integrated into the lesson plans. There will also be a presentation of traditional foods served at the charter school.

“And they will see a lot of our kids dressed in regalia and tribal wear today because we wanted to honor them by coming in and honor our roots,” Foye said.

The Wildlife Refuge was also there to educate students. The partnership began two years ago.

“They walked…students through activities, outdoor activities that they can do,” she said. “They have done a plant and bison presentation for us. So, the kids got to get hands-on experience, you know, feeling a bison’s fur, the parts of a bison. And then they do teachings about the local Comanche stories that they have.”

The Native American language group also helped set up the day to encompass the language and culture, including the food.
Foye said it was amazing to have the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and show them what can be done to have a successful charter school.

Comanche Academy expanded into the Dorothy Lorentino Education Center earlier this year.