Chuck Cadotte facts for kids

Chuck Cadotte is a talented powwow dancer and teacher from the United States. He is a member of the Dakota Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Chuck helps Native American people, especially those living in cities, connect with their culture. He does this by teaching traditional Native American dances with the Soaring Eagles group. He also takes part in special blessings and supports rallies that protect Native American land rights and their right to govern themselves.

Early Life and Tribal Connections

Chuck Cadotte was born in 1951 in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is an official member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. This tribe has faced many challenges, including their land being taken and natural resources damaged. For example, the Oahe Dam project caused their land to flood, harming their way of life.

More recently, the tribe stood up against the Dakota Access Pipeline. This was part of the No DAPL Standing Rock movement. They wanted to protect their water and land. The United Nations even raised concerns about how security forces treated protestors during this time.

Growing up on the reservation taught Chuck to be humble and respect older people. After finishing high school in 1970, Chuck moved away from the reservation. He explained that there were no jobs there, and his family had also moved. His brothers joined the army and navy, and Chuck moved to Los Angeles.

In 1977, Chuck moved to San Diego, where he still lives. He has been a very active member of the Native American community there.

Community Work and Standing Up for Rights

Chuck Cadotte first saw the challenges between the U.S. Government and Native American tribes when his own Standing Rock Lakota Tribe was forced from their land. This happened when Lake Oahe was flooded, destroying plants and animals that the tribe relied on.

In 1971, Chuck visited his cousin in San Francisco. He was shown the Alcatraz occupation, which was a protest by Native Americans. Chuck says this was his first experience seeing Native American activism.

When he moved to San Diego, Chuck found ways to help the Native community. He worked with the Sycuan Inter-Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation program. This program helps people with disabilities find jobs again.

Chuck has also helped people in the community to live healthy lives.

For 23 years, Chuck owned a business selling arts and crafts. Through this business, he traveled to many powwows as a vendor. He also taught arts and crafts for California Indian Education. Because of his involvement, a tribal member asked Chuck to teach traditional dances to the community.

Chuck also helps with special blessings and cleansing ceremonies in the Native community, such as at the start of powwows.

Soaring Eagles Dance Group

The Soaring Eagles dance group began in 2010. Chuck Cadotte is the main teacher for this group. He teaches Northern Traditional dances to Native American children who live in cities. These children want to learn this style of powwow dancing.

Chuck teaches classes on Wednesday evenings at the Normal Heights Community Center. Students from kindergarten to 12th grade can join. Parents can also take part, which helps them connect with their cultural roots. The Soaring Eagles group helps keep Native American culture alive and strong. It also helps urban Native Americans stay connected to their identity.

Standing Rock and Water Rights

As a member of the Standing Rock Tribe, Chuck Cadotte spoke for his tribe during rallies in San Diego in 2016. More than 1000 people gathered to support the No Dakota Access Pipeline Movement.

Chuck learned more about how the U.S. government uses its power to claim and move water. He heard members of the Paiute tribe share how their water was taken for Los Angeles. This left their land dry and forced them to move. Chuck remembered his own family being forced to move because of the Oahe Lake flooding.

News reports in late 2016 described how police actions against Standing Rock protestors in North Dakota became very strong. The United Nations also reported concerns about how security forces used too much force. They also noted that the U.S. government had not always kept its promises to Native American tribes.