Breanna Denney/ Nevada Sagebrush
Saundra Mitrovich, outreach and retention coordinator for the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, makes earrings using beads during an activity for National Native American Heritage Month at the Center on Nov. 4. The Center will continue to host other events throughout the month.
by Rocio Hernandez
University of Nevada, Reno senior Christine Braunworth remembers growing up on four Native American reservations. Her childhood consisted of basketball tournaments held within the reservations, pow wows where families and friends gathered together, root digging, collecting berries, and hunting and fishing trips with her family.
“I grew up pretty traditional,” Braunworth said. “I still take my children out there and do those things, so my culture to me is still really alive and a part of my life.”
Twenty-four years ago, former President George H.W. Bush declared November as National Native American Heritage month and, on Sept. 23, Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a proclamation to continue that tradition. According to the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, there are 26 Native American tribes that call the Silver State their home.
November honors the contributions that all Native Americans have made to the country. According to the National Congress of American Indians’ website, Native American Heritage Month plays a key role in raising awareness of the challenges Native Americans have faced in the past and present and how tribal citizens have overcome these problems.
Junior Marissa Weaselboy is an enrolled member of the Shoshone tribe in Nevada. She said that she wants the month to bring more consciousness about Native Americans and their past.
“I think that the most important thing to remember that we are the originally inhabitants of this land and that we have survived everything that has been done against us,” Weaselboy said. “We are still here. We are thriving.”
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, UNR’s Center for Student Cultural Diversity hosts a series of events through the month of November that highlight different aspects of Native American culture, such as traditional Native American games and jewelry making. Saundra Mitrovich, outreach and retention coordinator for the Center, said that she believes it is important to expose students to different cultures on campus.
“This is an amazing place to have an exchange of knowledge and ideas and there’s probably no better place to celebrate traditions and culture and have conversations about different populations and the issue they face than on a college campus,” Mitrovich said.
As an enrolled member of the Tyme Maidu tribe of California, Mitrovich has observed that her culture is still being belittled by the usage of Native American people as mascots and the Native American-themed Halloween costumes that depict her culture in a negative light. Mitrovich said that it frustrates her when people don’t respect and understand her heritage.
Stereotypes and misconceptions about Native Americans and their culture are some of the issues that Native American students at UNR, such as Weaselboy, would like to see changed.
“I know people have a problem with seeing us as modern humans, [but] we have assimilated,” Weaselboy said. “We are not this idea of these crazy Indians running around in buckskins, living in teepees and hunting buffalo. It’s important to show [people] that there is a different image of us.”
In addition to providing an open dialogue about Native American challenges, Mitrovich also said that Native American Heritage Month is an opportunity to remind people that Native Americans are not ancient artifacts because they continue to be a relevant part of today’s world. There are many rights, such as access to water, that Native American people continue to fight for and initiatives they have put in place to make their communities a better place.
“[Native Americans] are not in the past; they are very relevant today, whether it be in political movements, education, anything,” Mitrovich said. “Native people are present and here, so [the event] kind of reminds people to not just look at them as that forgotten past or as that archaic stereotypical way but more so [as] a vibrant, bright culture.”
Although certain times of the year are designated as heritage months, Mitrovich believes that people shouldn’t limit themselves to honoring different cultures during those time periods. Mitrovich said that students should take the time to understand the various aspects of their community, because it can enrich the campus and make the community more successful.
“People want to be respected and appreciated holistically for all that they bring to the table,” Mitrovich said. “We should be celebrating each other‘s cultures and traditions every day.”
Rocio Hernandez can be reached at rhernandez@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @rociohdz19.
Upcoming events
Rock Your Moc’s Display and Recognition Day
– 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
– Nov. 14, 2014
– Center for Student Cultural Diversity
In honor of Nov. 15, National Rock Your Moc’s Day, the Center for Student Cultural Diversity will provide a display of various forms of American and Alaska Native footwear. Students are invited to come to the Center and take a photo with their moccasins or Native American jewelry and be entered in a raffle to win a prize.
Native/ API Youth
Summit
– 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
– Nov. 24, 2014
– Joe Crowley Student Union, Ballroom A
Washoe County School District and other surrounding county students are invited to attend the annual college preparation and empowerment youth summit for American Indian and Alaska Native youth, as well as Asian American and Pacific Islander youth. College students are encouraged to contact Saundra Mitrovich at smitrovich@unr.edu to volunteer for the event.
