Getting in touch with her Native American culture has been a dream come true for Ashlynne Wilkey, Eisenhower High School senior.

Wilkey is part Choctaw, but said the Hispanic side of her heritage was always emphasized.

“Growing up, I always felt disconnected from my culture,” she said.

A friend, who is a member of the Oklahoma Fancy Dancers, said it was never too late, and invited her to a meeting of the dance club last year.

“I felt like my whole world opened up. I had always wanted to learn, but couldn’t. I was really sad about it. In elementary school, dancers would come and I wanted to be part of that so bad,” she said.

Wilkey joined the Oklahoma Fancy Dancers, which is where she learned to do Native American dances, specifically the contemporary fancy shawl dance.

“I felt like (the dance) was meant for me — the jumping and the spinning. It’s just fun. It’s your own style; I like that,” she said.

On Nov. 6, Wilkey not only performed a Native American dance, but she did so in front of her friends, classmates and other members of the Oklahoma Fancy Dancers. She admitted to being a little nervous since it would be only the third time she had danced. Her previous outings were at the Comanche Nation Fair and the Lawton International Festival.

“A lot of people don’t know I dance,” she said before the powwow. “I feel like a lot of people don’t appreciate what we do.”

The powwow in the EHS gym was sponsored by the EHS Native American Club as a way to introduce the student body to Native American culture and proper powwow etiquette, said club co-sponsor Morgan Walker.

Members of the Oklahoma Fancy Dancers explained the meaning of the various dances to the students before performing them. Walker said members of the EHS Native American Club wanted to learn more about Native American dances and powwows.

“Less than half of them are familiar with powwows,” Walker said. “They didn’t grow up with the culture.”

Wilkey said she hoped the students would appreciate the meaning of the dances.

“I hope they learn what we do isn’t just meant to be entertainment,” Wilkey said. “These are something that have been around for many years. I hope they can look at that and appreciate it.”