Eastern Michigan University kicks off Native American Heritage Month with the Fall Feast at 6 p.m. on Nov. 1 in Room 3101A/B in the Student Center.
EMU’s Center of Multicultural Affairs and Native American Student Organization host the event. It will be the NASO’s sixth year hosting it, where in the past the event was a potlock. EMU’s Fall Feast is one of the largest college fall feasts in Southeastern Michigan. It has had up to 200 people attend.
“It’s a time to socialize, celebrate fellowship and eat, “ said Charnessa Paige, the CMA’s program director. “I’m not sure what their food will be this year, but come in and be surprised. I’m not worried about them running out.”
The standout events for this year’s Native American Heritage Month include “Rape on the Reservation,” a documentary being shown at the Student Center on Nov. 17 and a panel discussion called “American Indians: Stories of their Experiences in the U.S. Military” on Nov. 9.
Jeffrey Chicoine, 25, majoring in International Affairs, has seen Rape on the Reservation. He is not surprised by the documentary choice.
“The numbers and the stories are quite startling,” Chicoine said. “I think it’s a blindspot for a lot of Americans and I think a lot of times, we just don’t know what’s going on in Native American reservations. This is just one of many ways a minority population is being abused in this country.”
These events give a gritty juxtaposition to upcoming cultural events like, “Mean Spirit: An Evening of Poetry and Readings with Linda Hogan,” and “Significance of American Indian Symbols and Artifacts, a public lecture.” Linda Hogan is a Chickasaw Indian. Chickasaw Indians are originally from the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
The lineup of contrasting events can be seen as a way to educate people outside of the Native American community.
“They are two separate types of issues , but it’s the type of conversation that is noteworthy of having, “ Paige said. “It’s a good way to hear the stories of people we usually don’t hear stories from. It’s a good way of seeing a common thread.”
The last event honoring Native American heritage are the ongoing Ojibwe lessons. Ojibwe language classes will continue being held every Monday at 6 p.m. in Room 330 at the Student Center until Dec. 13. The Ojibwe, or Chippewa, tribe mainly lived around the Sault Ste. Marie region of Michigan.
Visit the official Native American Heritage Month website for national events or the Campus Life calendar for EMU events.
