Harvesting Hope
Discover how students at Umóⁿhoⁿ Nation Public Schools are growing in every possible way!
2022 // 13:03 // Macy, NE
Harvesting Hope is a short film centered around an innovative outdoor classroom implemented by Umóⁿhoⁿ (Omaha) Nation Public Schools in Macy, Nebraska. Educators teach students about the natural sciences through the lens of Native culture, history, and traditional ceremonies.
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Brenda-Murphy.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026671&s=a970793232dd11b903883c9ee93b5a4b 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Brenda-Murphy.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026671&s=9e66f6ea3d65dd059bca855e0d0f7393 2160w)
Brenda Murphy
Naturalist and Educator
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Delberta-Frazier-2.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026766&s=03526c32000f66c032197ca062fd6747 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Delberta-Frazier-2.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026766&s=29c8f5a4d71369df77118cc6487b60a1 2160w)
Delberta Frazier
Indigenous Educator
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Everett-Baxter-Sr_2.jpg?w=1634&h=1634&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642114801&s=2c9262179c0e09e09210f327a315afdb 1634w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Everett-Baxter-Sr_2.jpg?w=3268&h=3268&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642114801&s=f641b4d454abfd87ef8b59e6981639bb 3268w)
Everett Baxter Sr.
Umónhon Nation Elder
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Ricardo-Ariza.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027049&s=6e1f327356a0b6262b36c20d36779bb0 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Ricardo-Ariza.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027049&s=9e33aea6d27828edd04f0743d5539d54 2160w)
Ricardo Ariza
JAG Nebraska Career Specialist
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Rufus.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027216&s=35393e87b6b3f9125af59188cf4b7d4c 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Rufus.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027216&s=95325ade87aa303ccd4f361e3a818721 2160w)
Rufus White
Umónhon Nation Elder
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Suzi-French.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027147&s=3220adf1f321cc8a8fe921efc750f57c 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Suzi-French.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027147&s=ae42f394e8deff6bd8679a2346dce316 2160w)
Suzi French
Farm-to-School Director
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Stabler.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027897&s=4d9bd63710876d1f2b6214a8f5841ef6 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Stabler.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027897&s=76fdf5eb59e7f7d6c5ae7e1d1726ca29 2160w)
Vida Stabler
Director of the Umónhon Language and Culture Center
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
From planting to harvesting and everything in between, Umóⁿhoⁿ Nation Public School students connect with their community and receive hands-on experience in agriculture, economics, and cultural traditions.
Wherever we go, there’s always going to be something exciting that we don’t know anything about… When you are outside, there’s so much to learn.”
— Brenda Murphy
One of the main goals of this outdoor classroom is for students to connect to their Native culture in new ways. Educators work to ‘retraditionalize’ students by introducing them to crops historically indigenous to the Umóⁿhoⁿ people.
Students are discovering the important history of these crops and how they can enjoy them in their daily lives.
Students are benefiting from this program in countless ways. Some of the vegetables harvested are used to prepare school lunches while many more get sold back to the community at a fair price.
They’re learning valuable lessons in economics by helping to price and sell the crops. Over the summer, high schoolers can be hired for a paid part-time job preparing the gardens for the next harvest.
These are just some of the many skills students are gaining to set them up for success beyond school.
People are so excited and happy to see that we’re doing something like this, fulfilling a need that we have in our community. This food was grown on Omaha land by Omaha people. And now it’s going back to them. It’s a dream come true for me, you know.”
— Delberta Frasier
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Brenda-Murphy.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026671&s=a970793232dd11b903883c9ee93b5a4b 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Brenda-Murphy.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026671&s=9e66f6ea3d65dd059bca855e0d0f7393 2160w)
Brenda Murphy
Naturalist and Educator
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Delberta-Frazier-2.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026766&s=03526c32000f66c032197ca062fd6747 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Delberta-Frazier-2.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642026766&s=29c8f5a4d71369df77118cc6487b60a1 2160w)
Delberta Frazier
Indigenous Educator
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Everett-Baxter-Sr_2.jpg?w=1634&h=1634&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642114801&s=2c9262179c0e09e09210f327a315afdb 1634w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Everett-Baxter-Sr_2.jpg?w=3268&h=3268&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642114801&s=f641b4d454abfd87ef8b59e6981639bb 3268w)
Everett Baxter Sr.
Umónhon Nation Elder
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Ricardo-Ariza.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027049&s=6e1f327356a0b6262b36c20d36779bb0 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Ricardo-Ariza.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027049&s=9e33aea6d27828edd04f0743d5539d54 2160w)
Ricardo Ariza
JAG Nebraska Career Specialist
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Rufus.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027216&s=35393e87b6b3f9125af59188cf4b7d4c 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Rufus.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027216&s=95325ade87aa303ccd4f361e3a818721 2160w)
Rufus White
Umónhon Nation Elder
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Suzi-French.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027147&s=3220adf1f321cc8a8fe921efc750f57c 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Suzi-French.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027147&s=ae42f394e8deff6bd8679a2346dce316 2160w)
Suzi French
Farm-to-School Director
Umónhon Nation Public Schools
![](https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Stabler.png?w=1080&h=1080&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027897&s=4d9bd63710876d1f2b6214a8f5841ef6 1080w, https://public-schools.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/images/Vida-Stabler.png?w=2160&h=2160&q=61&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1642027897&s=76fdf5eb59e7f7d6c5ae7e1d1726ca29 2160w)