West Virginia 4-H Drops Indian Events

For 80 years, 4-H members at summer camp in West Virginia have split off into tribes and followed rituals patterned after Native American customs, from copying rain dances to wearing headdresses to creating self-styled tribal yells.

Now the practice--a large part of the summer camps themselves--is being eliminated because of a formal complaint that it is offensive to Native Americans.

“As difficult and emotional as this issue is for many people, we believe it is the right thing to do,” said Larry Cote, director of the West Virginia University Extension Service, which is responsible for 4-H in West Virginia.

“We had no idea that our program was as hurtful to Native Americans as it was,” Cote said. “It’s important that we don’t teach children practices that in any way demean a race, perpetuate stereotypes or trivialize sacred customs.”

Cote would not say who filed the complaint; West Virginia has more than 10,000 full- or mixed-blood Native Americans, according to the 2000 census.

The change also was recommended by a group of national 4-H leaders that recently reviewed West Virginia’s program, Cote said.

At least three other states--Delaware, Maryland and Virginia--have similar 4-H camps, Cote said. Representatives of those states’ extension agencies didn’t return calls for comment.

In West Virginia, a statewide group of extension agents, volunteer 4-H leaders and members is now considering how to restructure this year’s summer camping season, which begins in June.

“The change is really going to be very difficult because campers and leaders think we do it out of respect. At no point do we think we are making fun,” said Kate Burbank, who has been an extension agent for 32 years in Roane County.

Funding for 4-H is provided through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, the state extension service and county commissions.

The state extension service could have lost at least $4.5 million a year in federal funds if it had been penalized by the USDA, and the university could have lost millions more in federal research dollars, Cote said.

4-H, which is celebrating its centennial this year, is a federally organized youth educational program based in rural, agricultural communities across the United States.

During most of the year, 4-H’ers have club meetings, perform community service and work on service projects, such as raising animals for show, and in summer they head to camp.

At county camps statewide and at the state 4-H camp, West Virginia 4-H’ers since the 1920s have been divided into four tribes: Cherokee, Delaware, Mingo and Seneca. The tribes compete in sports and other events and gather each evening around a campfire in a council circle.

Skits, stunts and songs performed at the circle are peppered with Native American references. Some male campers have been called short-braids, and female campers long-braids. Adults are called Big Feet, and the camp director is the Big Chief.

Vernon Bellecourt of the American Indian Movement, based in Minneapolis, said West Virginia should be applauded for trying to end demeaning stereotypes.

“I have no problem if the 4-H wants to teach that we are stewards of the environment and teach our spirituality and philosophies, but not if they play Indian,” Bellecourt said.

Nationally, the operation of 4-H camps and their themes are up to each state, said Allan Smith of the USDA Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service.

Kaila Foust, 16, of Princeton, W.Va., has been attending 4-H camp for eight years in Mercer County, where she is a member of the camp’s Seneca Tribe.

“It’s going to affect us a lot,” she said. “Council circle brings the whole group together at night so we can sing songs, do funny skits and just be together.”