Students and faculty gathered around the display table to see some Native American artifacts and artwork.
Aaron Berkowitz – General Assignment Reporter
Southern celebrated Native American Awareness Month with the help of the Multicultural Center and their presentation of The Challenges and Victories event in the Adanti Student Center Theater on Wednesday, November 12.
The event featured Annawon Weeden, an Eastern war dancer and storyteller, and also Larry Fisher who performed numerous Indian songs for the guests to dance to on his hand drums.
Weeden said he takes every opportunity he can to spread awareness and educate people of Native American culture because of the misrepresentation of them in society over the years.
Raysa Florentino, graduate intern in the Multicultural Center, said she was happy to be a part of the event and jumped at the opportunity to see students gain insight on the Native culture.
“When I heard the university had not hosted an event to pay tribute to the Native Americans yet I got excited to be a part of the planning process,” said Florentino. “I really think the people who came out to the program left more informed and also had a good time participating in the dances that followed the presentation.”
Florentino said the Multicultural Center strives to raise awareness of the many different cultures that contribute to the university’s diversity.
Weeden has been a part of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe his entire life. He practices many of the traditions that his father made him abide by to this day and finds a lot of what is taught to children in school about his tribe’s culture to be offensive.
“If everybody understood the origin of how Native people were involved in the first few Thanksgivings, there is really nothing to celebrate for Natives even though we love to feast,” said Weeden. “The school’s job is to teach but what are you teaching? You’re saying that it’s okay to be racist, mock another culture, and on top of that you’re promoting it.”
He also took the time to address the recent controversy of sports teams should have to change their logos or not.
“If it’s inappropriate it’s inappropriate,” said Weeden. “It doesn’t matte the age level or reasoning behind it. Everybody says they’re trying to honor us with integrity and respect so we say ‘You need to show respect when we say it is disrespecting us.’”
The program wasn’t all about addressing social issues and stereotypes though, Weeden also took the time to show members of the audience ways to which people of his tribe communicated.
He said that they didn’t use the Greek alphabet or have a formal way of writing to communicate so they used what is called “wampum.” The decorative wearing of beads was not only used as fashion and interpreted as art by members of his tribe, but each piece also told a unique story of the person who created it.
Weeden said the culture that was instilled in him as a child is something timeless and makes him realize how much the world has changed.
“Even when we had nothing, we had manners,” said Weeden. “I have taught a lot of what was taught to me as a child to my five children, but I do not force it upon my kids like my father did. Sometimes I just realize that we live in such a complicated world that I don’t really understand at this point or care to understand.”
Photo Credit: Aaron Berkowitz
Revised 11/19/14 7 p.m.
Original article stated this was the Multicultural Center’s first event for Native American Awareness Month.
The article also did not have the date and place of the event.
