Daniel Hechenberger said he has found an innovative way to teach students about the ancestry of Illinois.

Nipwaantiikaani is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Hechenberger, a doctoral student and teacher/research assistant in the department of curriculum and instruction. Hechenberger said the organization’s name is derived from the Miami-Illinois Native American language, meaning “lodge where we learn from each other.”

Last year, Hechenberger produced an exhibit for the University Museum called the Illinois Indians Relationships. Hechenberger said he created the exhibit to help students understand why it is important to be aware of the history of multiculturalism.

“If we live in a state named after a group of people, we ought to do everything we can to learn something about them,” Hechenberger said.

Museum director Dona Bachman said Hechenberger’s exhibit was a great way to have students learn about the history of Illinois and its diverse background.

“It was extremely popular and made students appreciate the Illinois history,” Bachman said.

Hechenberger said the objective of the organization is to produce similar programs and allow students a hands-on experience. Hechenberger said he became interested in putting the organization together while he was working at the Museum of Westward Expansion in St. Louis.

“When I was an undergrad I didn’t see history as exciting at first. It was all about memorizing and naming battles, but then something just grabbed my attention,” Hechenberger said.

With Hechenberger’s theatre background, he said he wanted to find a unique way to teach students rather than the PowerPoint lectures commonly used in history classes. When trying to tie acting and teaching together, Hechenberger employed the concept known as living history.

“Living history is when you become a person from a certain time period and you act as if you are that person through storytelling,” Hechenberger said.

Besides acting, Hechenberger said he has also incorporated music in his programs as well as puppetry for elementary students.

Hechenberger usually covers the relationships between Native Americans and British and French settlers. The program also discusses events such as the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Oregon Trail, Hechenberger said.

Although Hechenberger has been extremely busy finishing his doctorate, he said he tries to make sure Nipwaantiikaani continues to run. Hechenberger said the organization’s board of directors has been a great help to him with planning new programs and events.

As of right now, nothing has been scheduled for this semester. However, Hechenberger said those students who are interested in learning more could watch his documentary “The Early History of the Illinois Indians.”

The film has won the Award of Superior Achievement from the Illinois State Historical Society and can been seen on WSIU, Hechenberger said.

Jenn Lofton can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 270 or [email protected].