On Monday, Oct. 14, Lawrence hosted its ninth annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration in the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event was held by Lawrence University Native Alliance (LUNA), a student organization that promotes “awareness about Native American/Indigenous cultures through education and activism,” as stated in their description. As a result, the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration focused on personal experiences and greater cultural identity.
“It’s important for Lawrence to host the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration to recognize the students, to foster their sense of belonging and to truly honor the cultures that we embrace here at Lawrence University,” elaborated Director for the Diversity & Intercultural Center (D&IC) Laura Jones.
The event featured various speakers, including an opening prayer by LUNA chair junior Myra Johnson, a short speech by Lawrence University President Laurie Carter and Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment and Belonging Benjamin Rieth, followed by a closing speech by LUNA member senior Libby Lang-Smith.
Rieth spoke on his personal experience dealing with his intersectional identity and the importance of expressing one’s true self in relation to their Indigenous identity. He then spoke about the importance of interaction, asking people to think about the stories we hear to better understand the complexities of individual identity.
The event featured a powwow demonstration by members of the Oneida Nation, showcasing several dances alongside explanations as to the symbolism and significance of each. Concluding this feature, the Oneida Nation speaker emphasized the idea of community among people by opening the floor for members of the audience to join in on a simple two-step dance. Sophomore Lupita Derks-Williams, who attended the event, expressed her awe at the dances.
“I thought they were really beautiful,” Derks-Williams said. “Explaining the history of each dance and what they were wearing really helped [me understand] the history.”
The Indigenous Peoples Day celebration concluded with a short speech by Lang-Smith, who shared her experience with her Indigenous identity at Lawrence University and expressed her gratitude for those who attended.
Additionally, the event featured a food truck, “Taco Tones,” serving up Indigenous tacos and a variety of other foods.
Prior to the scheduled program for the celebration, two vendors sold a variety of Indigenous handicrafts, including dream catchers and sun catchers.
In relevant news, Dr. Marcus Lewis, member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, will be hosting a discussion titled “Ho-Chunk Survivance: Our Forced Removals and the Boarding School Era,” on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in Main Hall Room 201. The talk is being sponsored by LUNA, the Department of History and the Ethnic Studies program. Lewis will be discussing the forced removals the Ho-Chunk People endured from 1832 to 1865. The discussion will feature stories from Ho-Chunk elders concerning the difficulties they endured, told by Lewis.