Indigenous dancer, flutist visits Sussex Academy

Sussex Academy sixth-graders welcomed Boe Harris-Nakakakena, an indigenous performer and member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa and Spirit Lake Dakota tribal groups, to campus Nov. 13, to enhance students’ learning about tribal nations.

Nakakakena, whose name translates to rattles with feet, is known for her traditional dancing and Native American traditional flute music. She specializes in Northern Traditional dance, a style of dance that tells a warrior’s story through mimicry and honor, and Jingle Dress dance, a dance and prayer performed at powwows to represent healing and pride.

She has performed throughout the U.S, including at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and at several NATO military bases in Europe. She gives educational presentations at schools and communities nationwide to raise awareness of and appreciation for Indigenous peoples and cultures.

During Harris-Nakakakena’s visit to Sussex Academy, students followed her lead in a traditional dance and tried out some musical instruments, even getting to record a song as she accompanied them on the flute.

She also displayed a collection of other cultural artifacts, traditional clothing and regalia.

The visit was coordinated by sixth-grade social studies teacher Jon English.