KC Spotlight - Indigenous Peoples

In the late 1970s, the United States Congress enacted legislation and subsequent presidents have issued annual proclamations designating a day, a week or a month to celebrate and commemorate the nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native heritage. Throughout President Obama’s presidency, he has continuously proclaimed all of November as a month to celebrate the indigenous peoples of this land. In Canada, a day in June is proclaimed National Aboriginal Day, a special day to celebrate the First Nations peoples of Canada. However, Indigenous peoples celebrate our culture, heritage, and customs year round to preserve history and culture that is continuously erased in our societies.

Even though Native and Indigenous peoples history and stories are left out of many spaces, including education, we stand stronger than ever making sure our voices are heard. Across the IV-West region and nation, many colleges and universities celebrated Native American Heritage Month in November with various programs ranging from pow wows, feasts, and lectures to concerts, films, art and other cultural events. Students led discussions and demonstrations aiming to bring to light the issues Native students face on college campuses, including the erasure of our history.

As another month of celebration came to a close, great news was announced in Canada. The University of Winnipeg in Manitoba Province and Lakehead University in Ontario announced that students will have to pass a three-credit course in Indigenous history or culture to graduate starting in September of 2016. This is great news because it begins a necessary trend in higher education where institutions honor and recognize the contributions of Indigenous communities, and the impact this history has on higher education. One magazine in Canada stated “It’s a big, bold move meant to combat racism and foster reconciliation in cities where Indigenous residents continue to face discrimination and titanic barriers.”

Both Canada and the United States have an ugly history when it comes to the treatment of Indigenous peoples, which is rarely discussed in our societies and consequently leads to further discrimination against our communities. I have heard of many student movements in the US advocating for Native American/Indigenous studies to be required, and it is exciting to see some universities taking this seriously, and making these classes part of the core curriculum. My hope is that in the coming years, amongst the various social movements happening in our society, Indigenous issues continue to be in the conversations. This will hopefully lead to other universities continuing the trend of making Indigenous studies a requirement in education for the benefit of current and future generations.

Yakoke (thank you),
Tiffani Kelly
[email protected] 
Indigenous Peoples KC Rep