What do you do when a misinformed teacher assigns your kindergartner with the task of showing up to class “dressed as an Indian” for a Thanksgiving project? You think quick on your feet, which is exactly what Louisiana mother Tremeka did. Instead of sending her 5-year-old daughter, Nyemah Greenhouse, to school in offensive Native American garb, Tremeka cocktail dresses Nyemah as a #NoDAPL protestor. Somebody give her a mother of the year award.


Nyemah’s big sister was appalled by the assignment and took to Twitter to express her shock. “OHMYGOD WHAT THE Bleep. My kindergarten sister got assigned to ‘dress [like] an ””Indian””’ for her thanksgiving project,” she tweeted. Mama wasn’t feeling the assignment either, because the next tweet from the big sister read, “Momma is dressing her as a No DAPL protester bc wtf.”

Tremeka doesn’t have any issues with the school, just the assignment itself. “It really is a good school,” Tremeka told BuzzFeed. “We just weren’t fond of this particular project. I hope that they don’t receive any backlash.”

Nyemah and her mother created a makeshift blue vest that read, “Water Is Life. #NoDAPL.” Nyemah’s sister tweeted a photo of the final look and was met with dozens of supporters. “Very appropriate. She was cocktail dresses uk far more like an Indian than anyone else! Thanks for helping this happen! #NoDAPL,” one tweeter responded. “I wish I could heart this a thousand times,” wrote another. One Native American thanked the women for their solidarity. “As an Eastern Band Cherokee, I have to tell you all, “Wado, sisters!” (thank you!).”

No word on what the teacher was thinking — was she even thinking? The assignment was a horrible idea, but thanks to the aware mom and daughters, it turned into quite the teaching moment.

The people of the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota have protested for weeks to stop the Dakota Access pipeline that would run through the reservation. A victory was reached last night when the Army Corps of Engineers denied easement of the pipeline to be routed through the lake near the reservation.

No word on if the school or teacher was made aware of the ignorance of the assignment. Tremeka was a good sport (and parent!) for educating her daughter, and potentially the teacher and other students. I, for one, would’ve definitely showed up to the school with a PowerPoint presentation on the ways it was offensive, hence excusing my child from completing the assignment. But I’m not a parent. Standing ovation for Tremeka, Nyemah, and her sister for sharing this amazing story.