The day after Thanksgiving is National Native Heritage Day. After coming back from Thanksgiving break, high school and middle school students from Wrangell’s Tlingit culture and language class put on a shadow box play Tuesday in honor of day   .

Parents and students from both schools gathered in the gym to watch the play which kicked off with lullabies sang in Tlingit by children from Head Start.

After a couple of songs, high school students helped middle schoolers act out the story of fog woman and raven, making shadows and shapes depicting their unhealthy relationship. Tlingit teacher Virginia Oliver spoke with KSTK before the event and said the play comes with a strong moral.

“Our theme for National Native Heritage with the Wrangell high school and the Stikine middle school Tlingit class is respect for self and respect for others, Yáa at wooné,” said Oliver.  “We don’t let other people abuse us.”

The play ends with fog woman leaving the relationship.

“She does leave him and never comes back, but she does give salmon to the world. It’s an origin story. It’s a very beautiful story,” said Oliver. “You can see one of the house posts down at Shakes Island in the house which is a fog woman pole.”

November is also Native American Heritage Month.