Bench at Hayground School Dedicated to 'Founding Grandmother' Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile

Elizabeth “Chee Chee” Thunder Bird Haile of the Shinnecock Nation, a “founding grandmother” of the Hayground School, was posthumously honored on a recent afternoon by students, teachers, parents, family and Shinnecock Nation members at the school.

Professional artist Jacqueline “Jaxie” Rodriguez arrived at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton for a one-week residency with students from April 24 through 28 and worked with children in Hayground’s Art Studio, teaching the art of “pyrography,” or writing with fire. A member of the Kanesatake Mohawk Nation, the visiting artist has been studying woodworking and the art of wood burning for more than 20 years.

Rodriguez’s residency culminated with the adornment of a bench honoring Haile that was dedicated on May 24.

A founding member of the Hayground School, Haile was also a Hayground grandparent. Today, her granddaughter Tohanash Tarrant is a Hayground teacher, while great-grandchildren Suki Tarrant and Lily Tarrant are students. Another great-grandchild, Kodiak Tarrant, graduated in 2022.

During the dedication ceremony on a sunny afternoon, another of the school’s founders, Tinka Topping, spoke in front of dozens of students and parents as they sat in a circle.

“I am overwhelmed and touched by the number of people who are here. This is a very special day,” Topping said. “She and I were founders in the very beginning, when this was just a piece of land. There was no trapeze, there were no buildings, and we stood on a piece of ground, and the first thing I remember is, we could not decide, because there were so many of us, what to call the school.”

Topping recalled Haile saying very quietly, but authoritatively, “Hayground” would be the name. Everyone agreed. “And we called it Hayground.”

Next, the new school needed a symbol. “She said it will be seeds coming down to the ground, fertilizing the soil,” Topping recalled. The premise being that the children would be in an environment where they could flourish and learn, similar to the growing seeds.

“Although we came from different places, we shared a vision,” Topping said. “How children learn, how they learn to respect each other, how they learn to listen as much as speak. I have to honor Chee Chee for being a leader in the best possible way.”

Haile received a bachelor’s degree in 1952 from Oneonta State Teachers College and obtained a master’s degree from NYU. She died in August 2015 at the age of 85. An active member of the Shinnecock Nation and daughter to Chief Thunder Bird, Haile played an active role in the annual Shinnecock Powwow with ceremonial dance for years, and also served on the Shinnecock Tribal Council, Land Defense Committee, Cultural Center and Museum Board.

Hayground School’s Visiting Artist Program invites artists, writers, performers, and scientists to lead intensive workshops with Hayground School students.

The residency and project gave the school the opportunity to create a permanent honorarium for one of Hayground’s most beloved founders, whose imprint on the school remains potent and meaningful.

The finished products of the residency consist of two benches. One is a large plank with two feet produced and decorated by the kids; the other is a more traditional wooden garden chair created by Rodriguez.

“My time at Hayground was truly an expansive teaching experience. The dedicated staff and environment are artistic in nature, where creativity can truly flourish,” Rodriguez explained. “The ability to have one-on-one moments with the students grasping the art of pyrography was seamless, and inclusive. First of all, in my years teaching, having a collective piece where every student could leave their mark with such pride, was awe inspiring. I hope to be invited to this very nurturing place again.”

The experience has definitely resonated with Hayground students, as dozens of students and parents attended the dedication ceremony.

“It’s cool burning a perfectly straight line. You have to wait and go slow and take the time to let the tool heat up. It’s really fun and I haven’t done anything like this. I’ve never even seen anything like this before or anyone doing this, and then I met Jaxie,” said Evan Dimitropoulos, a 10-year-old student.

“It’s nice leaving a mark on something. It’s very different than drawing where you can just erase,” 11-year-old Sophia Letcher described the process.

Her classmate Vivian Denny added that it’s very relaxing. “I like trying something new and it’s not so hard to adapt to. It’s going to be cool because usually the graduates sit on a bench, and now they’ll have this one to sit on. Maybe Suki (Tarrant) will sit on it since it’s dedicated to her great-grandmother,” she said.

At the ceremony, the Reverend Holly Haile Thompson, Haile’s daughter, spoke. Thompson, the first Native American woman to become a minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, explained that her mother wanted to be a teacher since she was a child.

“She taught all of her life, and she’s still teaching us now,” she said. “She educated and empowered people. She helped to enable and facilitate opportunities for everyone in this circle. A circle is special because there is always room for one more person in the circle.”

Thompson said that a great leader is one who creates not the most followers, but creates the most leaders, explaining that it was her mother’s philosophy which she brought to her teachings at Hayground. “And the same is true for teachers.”

Thompson, along with her cousins Becky Genia and Tina Tarrant, who make up the renowned Native American singing group, the Thunder Bird Sisters, sang a song in Haile’s honor as the Clan Mother of the Thunder Bird Clan. The song was titled the “Women’s Warrior Song.” The students and crowd stayed silent as the daughters sang and chanted.

“I think we should all be grateful for what she gave us,” Topping said. “And for what we will always be as long as this school exists. We will honor her contribution. What she gave us. What she shared with us. Bless us for having had Chee Chee with us.”