As part of Native American Heritage night, a women’s high school basketball team wore traditional Navajo hair styles. They wore a tsiyeela—a bun tied with yarn. Then a referee told them they couldn't play because he believed the hairstyle broke regulation. The students ended up taking out their buns. After the team received an apology, they wore their traditional hairstyles at the next game. And so did many in the audience. Listen to hear more about this event that highlights the issue of cultural sensitivity.
Story Length: 3:17
© 2016 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.
AIR DATE: 02/14/2016
November 25, 2015
5:05
Playing basketball can be difficult in a hijab, the traditional clothing for Somali girls that is robe-like and covers their hair. Shoes can get caught in the dresses, scarves fall over the eyes, and there are so many layers it can get too hot. In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a high school girls’ team redesigned their uniforms. The goal of the new uniforms was to balance a culture of modesty with playing sports. The Somali girls had input into creating the design to produce something that isn’t restrictive but is also cute. Listen to hear how these uniforms were created and the response by other teams across the country.
Read MoreMay 15, 2015
4:54
The state of Montana is adopting a new approach to maintaining and reviving Native American languages in the state. The state’s new policy, to partially fund native language immersion in public schools, is very different from previous efforts to get rid of Native American language and culture through government boarding schools. Listen to learn more about the policies of the past and present, and why Native Americans in Montana feel strongly about passing their language on to the next generation.
Read MoreNovember 13, 2013
5:59
As part of Native American History month, listen to this story with students to hear one man's story about keeping alive his Native American language.
Read More
