February 26, 2018
Dr. Crystal Redgrave shared a model for Native American education with the University of Montana Western and the community during a special day of events and presentations on February 13, 2018, hosted by the Montana Western Multicultural Committee.
Montana Western students had the unique opportunity to learn about the educational model Redgrave has constructed and its methodology. Many of the students in attendance were education majors, who learned about teaching techniques they could use in their future classrooms.
Kmezena, (Dr. Crystal Redgrave), Ph.D. is “Wadopana (Canoe Paddler Natoka) from the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes” of the Fort Peck Nation. Redgrave has dedicated her life to serving Native American communities in the capacity as an educator. Over the years, she has been both an educator and administrator in various school districts throughout the United States.
According to Redgrave, the model encompasses the four states of learning (emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual). The model is framed around traditional values (love, honesty, bravery, humility, truth, and wisdom) and wrapped in the concepts of respect (respect for family, self, relatives, and all that exists). The model seeks to develop “creative, collaborative, communicative, and analytical minds, and, most importantly, the model is framed around the concept of family; how we are cared for and how we learn to care for others.”
The model, which can be applied to multiple grade levels, was designed to teach educators “how to open up their hearts and eyes to better serve the students they teach,” Redgrave said.
The educational model includes encouraging opportunities in the classroom for continuing cultural traditions, teaching through storytelling, and problem solving. Redgrave shared many of her classroom experiences that inspired her to create the model, which she invites educators to use in any classroom.
