GARDEN GROVE : Indian Life Is Shown to Children

As a thumping drumbeat filled the air, John (Little Eagle) Bradley led children at a local elementary school in an American Indian dance of friendship.

Holding hands and taking hopping steps on the soccer field at Iva Meairs Elementary School, about 600 students joined Bradley in the dance Thursday. The celebration of American Indian art, dance and folklore was part of a federal American Indian Education Program, which is designed to foster understanding of native cultures.

Bradley, 45, said it is important to dispel stereotypes by showing children that American Indians are real people and “are not going to kill people or do something negative.”

Children need to know that Indians, and other groups of people, “are people first. If they can respect me as an Indian, then they can accept other people as well,” said Bradley, a Comanche-Cherokee who lives in Redondo Beach.

The event was designed to offer a more realistic view of Indian cultures and promote a respect for diversity, said teacher Diana Jago, who coordinated it.

“It’s to show that Native Americans are real. They live now, and they have their traditions that are different and they are still human beings,” she said. She said that learning to accept and understand cultural differences is especially important at a school where students speak 16 different languages.

“I think it really allows (students) to see Indian people in a truer light,” said Dwight (White Wolf) Howe, an outreach specialist for the Southern California Indian Centers. “A lot of (people) think we still hunt buffalo and live in tepees. They cling to a stereotype,” said Howe, an Omaha Indian.

Throughout the morning, students heard folklore and music from several tribes by men and women, many of whom wore traditional feathered and beaded outfits. Students also watched dances honoring the horse and the eagle. In another intricate dance, a man linked several hoops around his body to create various patterns.

“The hoop dance--that was the best dance I’ve ever seen!” exclaimed Assad Naiaz, 10. “I’ve never met an American Indian before. They’re really cool.”

Later, answering questions from the students, Bradley stressed that Indians are not a single group, but a patchwork of many different cultures. He also noted that Indians wear their traditional clothing mostly for special occasions and ceremonies, not every day. Answering one student’s question about how Indians tell time, Bradley answered, “I read Timex (watches).”

He also offered advice on using the sun to find directions, and he told students how to greet others in Choctaw. “You say, ‘Hah-leeto chu chu chik-i-mah. ‘ That’s ‘Hello, how are you?’ ” he said.

Jami Beschorner, 7, said she learned “about all the things the Indians used to do and most of their dances.”

But more important, she said, “I learned that the Indians are really, really nice, not like they seem to be from TV.”