From listening to rock music to simply identifying as a Hoosier, students most likely have been influenced by Native American heritage, whether they know it or not.
“It just goes to show how Native American heritage can be found in places that you would never expect,” said Nicky Belle, director of IU'sFirst Nations Educational and Cultural Center.
Throughout November, IU will be celebrating Native American Heritage Month with the help of FNECC.
The month is centered on heritage and not history, but the two are almost always interconnected, Belle said.
“The goal of Native American Heritage month is to highlight contemporary native identity,” he said. “It is not to focus on the history, but much of current heritage depends on history, especially since all tribes have since been removed.”
Guest speaker Siobhan Marks will discuss the woodland strap dress Wednesday Nov. 1. Historically worn to do daily tasks such as retrieving water, the dress has come to represent the importance of culture, specifically water, in the community.
Belle said this is especially relevant because of current issues with the Dakota Access Pipeline.
“A lot of her work is meant to re-contextualize and bring back the importance of this dress,” Belle said. “It’s interesting that something from so long ago still has relevance to social issues today.”
Another event is a film screening of “Rumble: Indians Who Rocked the World,” a movie about how modern rock artists are influenced by native music, from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Whittenberger Auditorium.
Belle encouraged students to visit at least one of the events for Native American Heritage Month, regardless if they have native heritage or not.
Although Native American Heritage Month is meant to celebrate native heritage, it also acknowledges the struggles native people have encountered.
Meaning “land of the Indians,” Indiana used to be vastly populated by Native Americans. This was before the majority of tribes were forcibly removed and relocated to Oklahoma and Kansas.
Today, there are no federally or state-recognized tribes in Indiana.
“Sometimes it’s hard not to be bitter with the government, especially with the effects of broken treaties,” Belle said. “They were promised things they never got.”
Belle said when tribes were stripped of the resources and land promised in their treaties, they relied on their shared heritage to remain steadfast together. Similarly, IU students with native heritage come to FNECC to find community when they are looking for resources and a place to connect with their roots while away from home.
“From what I’ve heard from native students here, it’s all about community,” he said. “Whether that means you’re here at FNECC every day and you’re a native studies major or if you just happen to come here every so often because you need help with physics homework, neither is more or less welcome than the other.”
Students like junior Lane Maddox gravitated toward FNECC because they wanted to connect to their heritage, even if they didn't know much about it before.
As a freshman, Maddox took an Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies class, and said she felt compelled to learn more about her heritage.
“I have native heritage, but have no contact with that side of the family,” she said. “Being part of First Nations has given me the opportunity to be part of a community I hadn’t been able to access before.”
Senior Gaby Anderson, another member of FNECC, uses the cultural center to connect to her roots even when she is away from home.
“It’s a way for me to be connected to a native community while I’m away from my family,” she said.
Coming from Westfield, IN, Anderson said she has grown to appreciate her heritage more throughout her college years, specifically through being the student leader of the American Indian Student Association.
Maddox and Anderson are fully involved with FNECC, whether it's through organizing events with the American Indian Student Association or hanging around the cultural center in their spare time. Both girls will be participating in some of the Native American Heritage Month events.
“I didn’t even know that Native American Heritage Month existed until I got to IU, but now I consider it an important part of my year,” Anderson said.
Important events during Native American Heritage Month:
Nov. 1: Keynote speaker Siobhan Marks: “Identity Theft and Reclaiming Our Grandmother’s Dress”
Marks will be speaking about The Woodland Strap dress and its cultural significance among the Anishinabe and Woodland people.
Nov. 2: First Thursdays: Siobhan Marks Ojibwe Strap Dress Display and Ho-Chunk Station Singers and Dancers
Marks’ dress display will be available for all to see. Ho-Chunk, a powwow drum group from Ho-Chunk country in Wisconsin, will be performing on stage.
Nov. 14: Rumble: Indians Who Rocked the World
This film is a documentary where music artists discuss how Native American culture plays a role in American popular music, particularly rock music.
Nov. 15: Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian
This film discusses the evolution of the portrayal of First Nations people, particularly in Hollywood film, which has led to some inaccuracies and misunderstandings.
