Little Miami Brewing Native American Scholarship Award

Roots of Heritage The barriers of majestic hemlock trees shadow my trail as I guide myself up the incredible halls of the rocky formation of Hocking Hills. This fern-covered mature forest opens my eyes to a whole new world of diversity. The smell of sweet pine mixed with lemon and orange peel fills my senses; I'm glorified by my surroundings. As I'm bathed in the forest air, I begin to walk closer to my Native American heritage. Like the roots of trees, I'm connected from the ground up with nature. I pride myself in my bronze, suntanned skin while I walk around in the abyss of nature. My grandmother engaged me with my Indian culture before I could even walk. The soft, lightweight deer skin hide covers my small frame. My long braided hair, embedded with strings of leather and feathers swings back and forth as I dance around a powwow Indian ancestral circle. Luanie, our bird clan mother, led in the circle which brings the meaning of closeness to our community and culture. I became diverse with dancing, singing, and honoring the traditions of my Shawnee ancestors. I was fortunate enough to be included in my ancestors' culture by my grandmother. Both sides of my family come from a long line of Shawnee and Delaware North Native Americans. The word Ohio is taken from the Iroquois word ‘ohiyo’, which means “the great river.” Located in southern Ohio, I became inclusive to learning my ancestor's native traditions. My Grandmother -on my mother's side- attended powwow and green corn dances to celebrate our ancestors and planting season. I was immersed in different foods in my day-to-day life: cornbread, soups, and stews. During hunting season, my grandmother's good friend Chief Running Foot brought us heaps of small game and deer meat for us to feast on. When I was five, I finally got my native name. As a child, I was known as the local songbird. I sang my heart out with the beat of water drums and the beats of nature. From this, I was given the name Singing Dove. In my childhood years, I was homeschooled till the 2nd grade. Through this experience, I learned about my native heritage with hands-on learning. As we strolled past Indian mounds and Native American history landmarks, I became diversified by learning who I truly was in my family's history. One of the spots we visited was the Serpent Mounds in Peeples, Ohio. These prehistoric mounds, along with Hopewell, were ancient burial sites. Underneath the mounds are fragments of pottery, food, jewelry, and natural materials like flint and stone. Most ancient Indian mounds, such as the Serpent Mound, represent the shapes of animals -I find this very fascinating- to honor their representative animal. Connecting our soul to our family's history is an honor. Passing down traditions and cultural diversity for future generations to experience. With the childhood I had, I got to experience the wonders of my native ancestors. Through this experience, I have become a global citizen and a more diverse person in our American society. I will continue to celebrate our native traditions and make a career path toward reviving nature's habitat. By learning about other national tribes and how every tribe's traditions and rituals are different, I will be able to spread a national educational outlook on my family's history. With great pride, I am honored to have the blood of the Shawnee and Delaware Native American tribes of southern Ohio.