Back-to-School extravaganza to empower Indigenous students and families

The IPAC has been planning the gathering with Bismarck Public Schools and community stakeholders since May. Billi Jo Beheler, the committee chairperson, said the event’s primary purpose is to connect with Indigenous families and students.

“The back-to-school event is an opportunity for Bismarck Public Schools to engage with our families and facilitate these healthy conversations and also continue to cultivate that supportive learning environment,” she said. “When our families are engaged, it contributes to positive student outcomes, improves child and student achievement, improves parent-to-teacher and teacher-to-student relationships, and an overall improved learning environment.”

Tomi Cimarosti, Indigenous Education Director at BPS, wants to offload some of the back-to-school pressure from parents. “We know that our families are incredibly busy and cannot sometimes find the time to get to the stores and things like that,” she said. “So this is kind of a stress relief to get this off their chest so they can focus more on getting their kiddos to school and enjoying the last days of their summer.”

The back-to-school event, which began in the late 1990s or early 2000s, invited students’ families to show up at one of the local elementary schools to receive a backpack with supplies. Recently, the event has grown into an all-day celebration full of fun activities, including food, music, bounce houses, and games. This year’s venue is Sertoma Park, an open outdoor space on a three-mile stretch of riverside plain along the Missouri River.

“When you leave the reservation or when you leave areas where your families are coming from, it’s hard to feel like you belong in some places, and this is just a place where you can feel like you belong,” Cimarosti said. “We’ll be playing music, we’ll have inflatables and things for kiddos to have fun.”

Travis Albers, the cultural coordinator at MPS, said over the years the two districts have worked together to support all of the students. “I think we’ve done a great job collaborating with each other,” he said. “Even though we’re across the river, we’re still a pretty close-knit family with Bismarck. We have families that go back and forth sometimes; they’ll go to Bismarck Schools and Mandan Schools. I think it’s important that we collaborate because we serve all our Native American families in our district and community.”

According to U.S. News & World Report, American Indians make up 8% of the student population at Mandan Public Schools. MPS covers more than 4,000 students across 11 schools. Albers said he works with about 400 Native students in the district. Bismarck Public Schools, the largest school district in the state, covers 14,000 students across 27 schools. Altogether, the district currently has over 1,600 Indigenous students enrolled.

“My position is to let our Mandan students and families know what we offer and how we incorporate our history, culture and language into our schools,” Albers said. “[We] make sure we try to do that at all levels, from elementary, middle school and high school.”

Organizations from across the area will participate as vendors or partners. Confirmed vendors include Sacred Pipe Resource Center, Rez Famous Lemonade, April Perkins Painting, Native Inc., MHA Language Revitalization, Buffalo’s Fire and Return Woman Creations. Altogether about 11 vendors and organizations are expected.

Cheryl Kary, executive director at Sacred Pipe Resource Center, said they’ve participated in the back-to-school event since the nonprofit’s founding in 2014. This year Sacred Pipe staff will feature three 20-minute workshops throughout the day. The workshops will touch on topics such as what to know if one’s child is in an Individualized Education Program, discipline policies and resources available to students during the year.

“I don’t think people realize how integral school is to a child’s life,” Kary said. “They’re getting their education there, they’re getting social interactions with other students and they’re learning skill sets and talents that they have. Being part of the school system is a big thing for kids, so I think it’s important for parents to be aware of what’s going on at the schools, and know that there’s support there.”

Sacred Pipe will also sponsor haircuts by Aaliyah from Humble Beauty, a Native-owned business in Bismarck, and a Native barber, who will be confirmed in the next few days. The organization will also give away gift cards for clothes.

In addition to all the fun, Cimarosti said she and the other cultural coordinators will be available to meet and greet Indigenous families throughout the event. If students or parents have any questions or concerns, she encourages them to come up to her or any of the other staff members to talk.

“I will be there the entire time,” she said. “Helping set up, tear down, all that kind of stuff, and just making sure that I get to meet as many people as possible. I’m looking forward to visiting with families and hearing their ideas or perspectives or excitements for the year.”

Though summer is ending, the academic year is just beginning. Cimarosti and the rest of the Indigenous Education Department are ready to assist students in any way they can.

Cimarosti concluded with a message to parents: “If kiddos are feeling worried or scared or unsure about really anything throughout the school year, [we] encourage them to reach out to our department, to the supports in their school that already exist, and not be afraid to take that step to connect with people again because it can feel weird coming back from the summer and being so separated from everyone.”

The back-to-school event will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 14 at Sertoma Park. Shelter #10 will serve as the main location for the supplies pick-up, while Shelters #1-4 and #11 will host vendors, activities and other resources. The event is open to the Indigenous families of Bismarck and Mandan Public Schools.