Central Lakes College Hosts Native American Heritage Month Celebration

Central Lakes College students, staff, and all those interested had the opportunity to learn more about Native American culture during CLC’s Native American Heritage Month celebration earlier this month.

For the second straight year, CLC provided a platform to celebrate the first Americans and bolster general knowledge on their culture. Attendees could learn more about famous Indigenous people, enjoy fry bread, and make dreamcatchers.

“I’m Cheyenne/Arapaho/Nakota, which I’m a little more than half Native. A lot of our ways is still practiced very openly that isn’t really seen by a lot of the public,” said CLC student Joann Hoff. “Just very proud that it’s actually being more welcomed also by the community in a very predominantly white area.”

From a deep love for nature to showing unconditional respect, acceptance, and kindness for other people, Native American culture is far more complex than many know.

“You are in a community and no matter what tribe came in, if you seen that they didn’t have something you gave to them, because to you, you know how that is to be without something, just have someone disregard you,” explained Hoff. “And so for us, we like to give to people without expecting something back because we want people to know that there is someone there for them.”

And conversely, many are unaware of the hardships Native Americans have faced throughout history.

“What makes me most sad is how covered up it is, because I think there is a lot of power in recognizing the wrongs right away,” said CLC student Myra Neumann. “The main thing that sticks out is the perseverance because of the multiple attacks on their culture and attempts of cultural genocide.”

And with many not being privy to what Native American culture and history represents, stigmas and stereotypes continue to spread.

“Before I came down here, I told – my roommates told me they were Native and stuff. So I would tell some classmates, some coaches or whatever back home, they told me, like, ‘Oh, you got to watch out for them, I heard that they’re big thieves, they’re such big liars.'” CLC student Bobbie Rowland said. “So me not knowing much about Natives, hearing that, that made me like biased about them too, before you even getting to know them.”

And with the amount of discrimination and outright vitriol Native American have faced both today and throughout history, Central Lakes College having inclusivity woven into its culture puts many within the student body at ease.

“It’s my first year here, but walking around and seeing, like, smudging rooms is amazing,” Hoff added. “I was extremely taken aback by seeing that and just knowing that I don’t have to be afraid to let people know about my culture. The community here is actually really refreshing and like very accepting and comfortable.”