Celebration honors indigenous people

On a darkened stage lit only by a single spotlight, several students sang original music and recited poetry yesterday in recognition of Indigenous People's Day.

"It's formerly known as Columbus Day. It's a different way of looking at the holiday that is celebrated nationally," said Dawn Guenthardt, a co-chair of the Native American Students Association and a University alum, referring to Monday's national holiday.

NASA primarily organized the open mic event in the Michigan League Underground.

"We do something every year for Indigenous People's Day. We've had rallies in the Diag; this year we decided to do something different," Guenthardt said.

SAM HOLLENSHEAD/Daily SNRE senior Joe Reilly plays the guitar at an open mic night in celebration of Indigenous People's Day last night at the Michigan League.

LSA senior and co-chair of the NASA event Jackie Pilette said they decided to focus more on the accomplishments and individuality of Native Americans rather than having a rally.

"It's celebrating the fact we have survived. Literally 99 percent of the population was wiped out," said Mimi Belton, an LSA and Art and Design sophomore.

"I'm the one telling the story. It's different when I'm telling my story than someone else telling my story," Belton said.

Belton, who was wearing a belt of the four colors of the Cherokee color wheel, was exhibiting her artwork at last night's event. She said her work is representative of the meaning of her ancestral tribes, the Western Cherokee, or Tsalagi, and Shawnee, or Shawano, tribes.

Many of her images centered on the nature of her own identity as a Native American.

Other students expressed themselves in other ways.

"I brought my guitar since this is my best poetic expression," said Joe Reilly, an SNRE senior.

Reilly, also a member of the Western Cherokee tribe, sang original lyrics and played original music, including one titled, "Pow Wow Love Blues."

"We wanted to get people together because Columbus Day is an important event and most people just look over it," Pilette said.

Steadily, some changes have been made on campus regarding Native American representation, including a Native American Lounge in the Alice Lloyd Residence Hall.

Guenthardt said the lounge will honor Vicky Barner, the first person to file a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union against Michigamua, a secret senior honor society that allegedly used Native American symbols and rituals.

NASA also is working on increasing the number of Native American faculty members and is trying to establish a Native American Studies department, which currently is a program within the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.

Although there was not a rally at the University on Monday to mark Indigenous People's Day, protests were held in other Michigan cities.

Guenthardt said community members held a rally on Eastern Michigan University's campus against a proposal to change the mascot of the Eagles to the original mascot of the Huron, a figure representative of the Huron tribe. The proposal is called the Huron Restoration Project.

In Lansing yesterday a rally focused on Gov. John Engler's abolition of the Michigan Indian Affairs Commission, Pilette said.

10-13-99