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Being in a Tlingit dance group helps me remember my culture. I've been in my Tlingit dance group since second grade. Tlingit dancing is very important because it helps people know who they are, like an Eagle or a Raven - their moiety, their clan. They get to show their family off.

Trust me, I like to show my family off, especially at Celebration. My family is proud of me, my cousin, Darren Austin, and my Grandpa because we three are in a dance group. My family is mostly Ravens. Some are Eagles.

My dance group is Children Of All Nations. My cousin used to be in that dance group until he graduated back in 2003. My Grandpa is in the Angoon dance group.

My dance practice starts at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and ends at 8 p.m. The group doesn't have that many people, because some people are getting out of it. We need more people in my dance group.

I'm in a dance group, because I think it is important to stay connected to my Tlingit culture. My little sister is 6 years old, and she is in a program called the Tlingit Culture Language Literacy. I'm in the TCLL program as a seventh-grader at Dzantik'i Heeni.

My little sister knows how to sing the Tlingit songs and she also knows how to dance to beat. She just joined the TCLLP this year in August or September.

In my old school, I was the leader, and this other kid, a boy, was the leader for the boys. But when I got out of the school, a girl, Hannah, was the leader for the girls.

In middle school, it's fun. After school on Mondays and Wednesdays, there is Culture Club, which is run by Victoria Johnson. It goes from 3 to 4:30 p.m. We do bead work, make regalia and sing Tlingit songs, occasionally.

The reason I'm talking about my culture is because I feel people need to know who they are and where they come from. If you don't know where you come from and who you are, like an Eagle or a Raven, ask your parents or your grandparents, because they should know everything about your family history. They might know about you and your culture.

My grandparents tell me a lot about me only because I want to know a lot about my family and culture. You don't want to forget who you are, where you come from or all the stories your grandparents told you when you were around 8 or 9 years old. That is why Tlingit dancing is important to me.

•• Heather James is a seventh-grader in Sarah Brooks' Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School writing workshop. From the Hallways is a monthly column showcasing the thoughts and opinions of students in Ali McKenna's Juneau-Douglas High School journalism class and Brooks' middle school writing workshop.