Kovar's Native Programs

The Predator Within:
A Native American's View For Public School Children

Location: All United States

Description of Project:

I am Judy Kovar and I am a Northern Cheyenne Indian, residing in Illinois. I am a hunter, a bowhunter and have taken many whitetail deer, turkey, bear, mountain lion, ram and wild boar with my bow. Today's public school students live in a neon light, asphalt and concrete jungle. They may have books in front of them, but they have not been exposed to real Nature, nor do they know one animal from the other. They know nothing about our instincts, and why we are born predators. Nor do they know that the animals are for us to use; for without them my ancestors would have perished. At the same time animal rights groups are spending millions of dollars to reach public school children and their teachers. For example in 1996, the

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) budgeted over 11 million for their fight against us. In 1998, the Humane Society of the U.S. had a budget of $36,633,759 and spent more than 40% on overhead and 800,000 a year to go into the public schools. Other groups, movie stars and political people more millions to do the same.

How To Solve The Problem:

I have a program where I go into public schools in urban environments such as Chicago, Illinois, St. Louis, MO, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Evansville, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin,, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and even Alaska. I address the students wearing my white elk skin wedding dress. I have a backdrop of various hides, mounts bows, arrows, bone tools and 1800's teaching aides. My presentation last 45-60 minutes. with special time set aside for a hands-on-touch and feel session. The touching of my grandfather's bow and arrows, of bone needles, other animal hides, pelts, scrapers, sinew, flint and steel arrowheads. I talk about conservation, my predator instincts, and how harvesting animals was, and is normal, and accepted. And without such instincts and outlook my people would have perished. We need our animals, as they need us. Together we will survive, divided we both shall fall; that even today we need our predatory instincts.

Often I tie into an American History class that is studying Native American's. Or the P.E. class and their archery session. It is easy to make a connection between such lessons and hunting. I also talk about girls and women taking a part in the sport of bowhunting, or just hunting. And yet another message I give is an anti-drug message...to get back to the basics, that drugs and alcohol and their so-called high do not compare to the high archery gives...from the first glimpse of a doe nursing her fawn, to the call of the wild turkey or the howl of the wolf. That the good Lord put the woods out there for us to use: no matter how bad things get on this earth; One can always find peace in the woods.

My program has NO age limits!

I talk about gangs and peer pressure among young folks. And the respect that everyone carries within them. That one can set and archive their goals, regardless of the color of their skin or heritage.

I have been doing these programs for 20 plus years. My lectures cannot neutralize animal rights efforts, but it is a start and I firmly believe my program is a major step in the right direction to promote sound wildlife management via the shooting sports. Being a female, a half-blooded Native American and bowhunter helps to de-PETA-ize the students and teachers. I plant a seed and hopefully it will sprout and grow. Educate the children, give them all the details and let them make the decision for themselves. America's children want to know why we do what we do, why we bowhunt. The children literally have to be pulled away from the display tables, and this happens at every school, at every presentation. The children are so eager to touch and to know why we chose to hunt. Our future lays within our children, and it is up to us (parents, grandparents, uncles, brothers, step-parents, or just a neighbor down the street) to feed the fire within them. What fire you might ask? The fire of knowledge, the right to decide for one's self...help me teach our children.