The beat of a rawhide dance drum and the almost synchronized steps of the community reminded the University of Wisconsin-Superior that it was built on tribal land.
Indigenous People Day was on Oct. 9. Celebrating the day, the Native Nations Student Organization (NNSO) and the Indigenous Cultures Resource Center (ICRC) brought together campus leaders, Superior Mayor Jim Paine, students, and community members to the Yellowjacket Union, after last minute cold weather.
At the end of the celebration, the whole crowd was invited to participate in cultural dances. | Photo by Drew Kerner
“I was worried at first because it’s a congested space, we’re dancing on concrete floors,” said President of Native Nations Student Organization Dillion Krisik. “But we made it work and we adapted well and it turned out great.”
Opening the celebration was an honor dance, following student speaker Heather Flemming spoke in Ojibwe about the respect that is given to the land and the people.
The openness of Native practices on campus helps some students feel more seen. “I’m a little more comfortable being indigenous in the space of UWS. I feel like really accepted now that I’ve done this and less awkward just being open about who I am,” said UWS freshman Maya Fairbanks.
“It’s important to me because there’s spirituality in just learning more about the culture and the people has really gotten me more connected with the land that I’m on,” said Sami Keller, a UWS senior. “Considering that I was in a really tough spot when I learned a lot about Native American spirituality and really helped me. It probably saved me.”
According to CNN, Indigenous Peoples Day was first coined in Berkeley, CA, in 1992, on the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival. But it was Krisik who brought the day to UWS.
The beat of the drums by the Red Cliff Band kept Sami Keller on beat while dancing. | Photo by Rene Williams
“After the pandemic, we were seeing what students wanted to do,” Krisik explained. “And I decided to reach out to the Indigenous Cultures Resource Center to see if they wanted to do anything to commemorate that day.”
And now a few years later, Krisik says this year had the largest crowd.
“There’s so many people out there who are ignorant to it. And I say ignorant in a way that’s not insulting but just as the term itself. They don’t know much about it,” said Krisik. “So being able to do events like this, and being able to express our culture, and be who we are and express ourselves shows that we’re still here. We’re still around, we persevered through everything we’ve endured.”
NNSO hosts a variety of events each semester, like Traditional Ojibwe Games Night happened on Nov. 2. NNSO meets every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Swenson 1030.
