(1/11) “When I took over, I noticed that there were behavioral issues for kids who didn't want to do projects like beadworking. And so I started changing my way of thinking about how I structured the whole classroom...” 
(2/11) “At the high school, I created a class on #indigenous representation in film. I would show the film, we'd have a short discussion, and then I would have them do a movie review. But then I started thinking about having the kids connect to our ancestors...”
(3/11) “When you start talking about representation, it reverberates out. Not just a historical perspective of indigenous people, but Indigenous Futurisms too. It’s like Black Panther: What would happen to indigenous cultures if they were left uncolonized?”
(4/11) “For me, it’s about creating a safe space for our kids. First and foremost, before any other kind of education happens. Are they hungry? Are they tired? So I created a space where they felt comfortable.”
(5/11) “I think of one kid in particular. I had the hardest time with him. And this is me at the beginning of my career, in the traditional #Menominee crafts class. This is why I changed all the classes and created more diverse options for our kids – because of this one kid.”
(6/11) “It was passing time one day. And one girl – I could tell that something had happened to her, either in the hallway or in class. She was really upset. She came into my room, slammed her books on one of my tables, closed her eyes, and breathed....”
(7/11) “Everybody seems to know it's ‘hard’ to be a teacher. I don't think everybody understands how hard it really is. It takes a toll on you, learning about the traumas that our kids go through.”
(8/11) “To keep teachers in schools, I think we need to create a community within each school. A teacher community. It's really hard to want to be somewhere if you don't love what you're doing and love the people you're around...”
(9/11) “I was on a Zoom call recently, and this teacher from UW Green Bay mentioned that one of her students was one of my students, and that she told her that she doesn't know what she would have done if she didn't have my class...”
(10/11) “We’ve now started this immersion program where we're trying to reconnect to a traditional way of teaching. What does Menominee education look like? What are the approaches that we can take to get to a truer form of Menominee education...”
(11/11) “We can't go through life complaining about the things that we see are wrong. We need to have solutions. We need to be able to think creatively.
Maybe the education system does not work for you. But there is something that does. So how do you find that solution?”
Maybe the education system does not work for you. But there is something that does. So how do you find that solution?”
You can learn more about Ben's new school, Kaehkēnawapahtāēq, by listening to this interview with Ben and a colleague on Wisconsin Public Radio: wpr.org/kaehkenawapata… @WPR
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