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The School Buzz: Pueblo teacher shares indigenous traditions with students

Coyote and bear hides, a buffalo robe, and an eagle staff – all just the tip of the iceberg for a very special teacher in Pueblo.

Samuel Gallegos is the man behind the props and the facepaint. He’s a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Ersilia Cruz Middle School. And he’s a very proud Mescalero Apache and Southern Cheyenne native who's been teaching students about his indigenous culture for more than 30 years.

With permission from community elders, Gallegos has taught about Native American cultures through traditional song and dance. His cousin Leroy Jaquez joins him with rhythmic drumming; they do what’s called the snake dance and potato dance; in between songs, Gallegos shares more stories about indigenous cultural traditions and the struggles natives have faced for the last several centuries.

"We are all created equal as human beings, no matter what our cultural background is, our religious belief, where our ancestors came from," Gallegos told the Pueblo Chieftain.

“I never want anyone to go away thinking that all indigenous people are the same," he said.

The Native American Religious Freedom Act of 1978 gave indigenous groups the right to practice their traditional religions and allowed them to access sacred sites, possess sacred objects, and granted them the freedom to worship in traditional ceremonies.

Gallegos added, "I teach from the perspective of what I have been taught by my elders, my grandparents, my parents, my relatives."

"I teach my students about the doctrine of discovery," Gallegos said. "I teach them about the reservation system, about the boarding school system, about how we weren't even able to do stuff like this or practice our culture until 1978.

"We were banned from practicing our culture until 1978," Gallegos said. "If we were caught doing ceremonies, practicing dances... We were either killed imprisoned or fined heavily... Those are things I talk about with my students because it's important that they know the historical facts behind all of that."

Do you know a remarkable teacher or student at your school? Email us! SchoolBuzz@KRDO.com

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Josh Helmuth

Josh is an anchor for Good Morning Colorado. Learn more about Josh here.

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