Four cheerleaders from the Oglala Sioux Tribe were chosen to be a part of the of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as members of the Spirit of America cheer squad.
Drew Slow Bear, Adrienne Slow Bear, and Caitlin Ghost Bear represented Lakota Tech, while Aroha Clifford is a senior at Little Wound high school.
Video is courtesy of Lakota Tech High School
There’s an audition process to be in Spirit of America that consists of an application and video submission. Along with Spirit of America having a cheer squad, they also have a dance squad too.
Spirit of America has been a part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1986. It started off as just dance, but a few years later, a cheer squad was also added to the mix.
Cheerleading and dance continues to grow among the native communities of South Dakota. In 2021, Lakota Tech became the first all-native school to compete at the SDHSAA state cheer and dance competition.
