SAFFY stood on her tiptoes, her eyes open wide her hands waving with excitement. Saffy's Big Idea exploded from her mouth in one breath. Why don't we put on a play where reporters interview Rosa Parks Martin Luther King, Jr., the people who sat at the counter, the bus driver, the policeman who arrested her, the ladies? wondered why hadn't thought of it. knew the preparation performance would teach mandated skills in a high-interest authentic way. Saffy presented her plan to the class. It was an immediate hit. were on our way. had studied King for a week before his holiday, the children had connected with him the civil rights movement. had read researched, written book reviews reports, talked about citizenship, made a huge display for the front entry, read the I Have a Dream speech, learned to sing We Shall Overcome. had also brought the civil rights movement home to Rocky Boy. In the late Sixties throughout the Seventies, a small group of Chippewa- Cree women worked for the tribe's right to control the reservation's public schools. These were Saffy's school ladies. One of the group's leaders, Dorothy Small, agreed to come to to tell us about her experiences. In those days, No Dogs or Indians Allowed signs were prominent in store restaurant windows in Havre, the closest white town. And Havre's department made decisions about what was taught by whom about how money meant for reservation schools was spent. Today, the tribe operates the schools, which have many Native American teachers administrators, and, for the first time ever, children learn the Cree language in school. The children were surprised to find real heroes in their community to see how King had made a difference in their lives. King the civil rights movement were given more life when a kindergarten teacher told us her personal Martin Luther King story. The children sat spellbound as she dramatically spun the tale. She told us about the bus trip from Iowa to the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 why it was so important for her to go. She described the crowd, her feelings, the anticipation of people who had come from far places to hear King. Close your eyes, she said, and imagine me, one small person, standing with thousands of people all waiting just to see him hear his voice. The children held their eyelids tightly closed as she described the electricity that ran through the crowd when he appeared the power in his voice as his I Have a Dream speech unfolded for the first time. See this? she said. This hand shook the hand of Martin Luther King, Jr. The children looked at it as though her hand were a precious archeological find. One child leaned forward put his hand flat against hers. For two days after the Big Idea sprang from Saffy's mind, the children worked feverishly. There was more research to do, the actors' parts to write, costumes to design make. I have to wear my hair in a bun, have to have a hat. Rosa Parks always wore a hat, Saffy, the Rosa Parks scholar, insisted. The children decided to end the play by singing We Shall Overcome. was impressed by their single- mindedness, by how easily they were learning new skills, by the care they took to ensure that everyone was included. At last the big moment came. Decked out in a suit jacket from the Salvation Army store holding the microphone in a death grip, Kristie spoke the opening words, the play premiered before an audience of parents. After the interviews, the choir, dressed in robes that gave them the appearance of angels, belted out We Shall Overcome. The parent applause heightened the students' confidence. Later, as we rushed from classroom to classroom, the performances grew stronger the children grew bolder. They were all stars for the moment. They had done a great job, was as proud as proud can be. …