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Meet Benjamin!

Benjamin

Hello! My name is Benjamin. I’m 7 years old, and I’m in second grade at Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary School. When I was 4, I started ZYEP soccer. Then I did cooking when I was 5. A year later, I went to Summer Camp, and last month, I did Dance Camp. Now I’m going to do theater this winter. I’m happy that I joined all this different stuff, so it’ll keep me smart and not bored!

Dancing is my favorite. I know how to be a better dancer, I get to see my friends, and I learned that, if you’re a grown-up and have kids dancing, you need to know how to make traditional leggings, headdresses, and things like that. We made leggings for Corn Dance. I like hip-hop and break dancing, and I also like the Buffalo, Eagle, and Deer traditional dances.

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My name is Jacqueline Edaakie. I’m Benjamin’s mother, and we love to dance! Growing up, I didn’t have support with traditional dance like the support ZYEP is offering to our children. This support is really important. It helps their confidence and keeps the culture alive. It’s part of who they are becoming as they grow up. I’m glad Benjamin is able to channel is energy into something positive, and we’re proud of him. Thank you, ZYEP!

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