Okay, so last week, Thursday April 29th, a tipi was set up in Oak Grove. The tipi was donated to the Linfield Jan-Term art class. About a week before the tipi was to be set up, the art professor, Totem Shriver, sent personal emails to a few students. His email was directed to the registered Native American students attending Linfield. He asked that the students attend the event so that they could celebrate their culture and meet the other Native American students.
Attending such a small school, which is predominantly white, I was excited to hear that there are 28 registered Native American students on campus. In hopes to meet these mystery indians, I attended the event. My boyfriend also attended and was equally excited because he is also full blooded Native American. The event began with a short introduction by Totem, followed by a blessing, flute song, and drum song by Mr. Looking Wolf. It was a lovely event and it made me feel happy to be Native American.
I feel that it is important that Linfield hold these sort of events, especially those concerning Native Americans. We are a small and very underrepresented group and it can be hard when we feel like there is no one else like us around. Being at the event, and smelling the sage that was used to bless the tipi, I had a huge lump in my throat. I almost wanted to cry because it made me miss home so much. I love Linfield, and would not want to be anywhere else, but moving from Arizona to Oregon can be tough. It's hard because I don't see as many Native Americans as I used to, and I don't see much of the material objects associated with Navajo or Hopi traditions.
Attending this event gave me great hope that the small groups who attend Linfield will soon be better represented. I am part of the Linfield Community, but it would be nicer to see a stronger and larger Native American Community.
Thank you for sharing Amy! I am glad you were able to experience those sensations of home and community. I think you brought up a very valid point concerning community and Linfield's community - it is very important to embrace the cultures of our homes/families as well as the cultures of others. Your statement saying that at times is feels "like there is no one else like us around" is very applicable to homelessness and might help people make connections between social worlds. Without community outreach, whether or not it is reaching out to Native American members or homeless members within a community, people need community connections and validation in order to feel a sense of belonging which ultimately leads to a sense of belonging in life on an individual level.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, thanks again for sharing, I am glad you posted this...very neat!