Native American Heritage Month: we should prioritize supporting Indigenous communities

“Both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University occupy the original homeland of the Dakhota and Anishinaabe peoples. We honor, respect, and acknowledge the indigenous peoples forcibly removed from this territory, whose connection remains today. St. Benedict’s Monastery and St. John’s Abbey previously operated boarding schools for Native children. Now, students, faculty, and staff are working to repair relationships with our Native Nation neighbors.”

Above is the land acknowledgment included in all syllabi, as professors recite it on the first day of a new semester, said before major events on campus and before each senate begins their sessions each week. This land acknowledgment reminds us that the institutions we attend were built on systems that caused real harm. Accountability requires action, not just words.

St. John’s Abbey and St. Benedict’s Monastery once operated government-funded Indigenous boarding schools, where Indigenous people were forced to abandon their culture and revert to Christianity. According to the CSB+SJU website, this forced assimilation included splitting children from their families, and if they were to die while at this boarding school, the families of these children often didn’t know where the remains were. This history is embedded in the institutions we attend and continues to shape how the schools engage with Indigenous communities today.

On the first day of Native American Heritage Month, Nov. 1st, CSB+SJU recognized the month by sponsoring a Powwow.

“For CSB+SJU to put on these events and even showcase the land acknowledgment is important because when we recognize this part of history and honor indigenous communities, we are actively supporting these communities to not be overshadowed or forgotten,” said Lauren Piga, a CSB first-year who attended the event.

This community gathering celebrates Indigenous heritage through music, dance and prayer for ancestors and honors Native veterans. “The idea is that even if you’re not Indigenous, or even if you don’t understand what is being said, you’re getting what you need from the spirit or earth,” said Malik Stewart, Assistant Dean of the Multicultural Center.

The only other event for Native American Heritage Month will take place on Nov. 8 featuring Frank Buffalo Hyde, an Indigenous artist and educator whose visit will elevate Native voices on campus.

Along with these two events taking place throughout the month, Indigenous art exhibits will be displayed on the CSB campus. The Art Educators of Minnesota Conference have set up these art installations by Gorecki Fireside, where two murals formulated by students from the Native Youth Arts Collective at Little Earth will be put on view through November, and in the BAC Gallery Lounge, an exhibit from the Minneapolis American Indian Center’s Two Rivers Gallery.

35 years ago in 1990, Congress had passed a joint resolution that officially recognized National Native American Indian Heritage month to be honored in the month of November. Ted Gordon, the Director of Native Nation Initiatives, reminisces on the strength and resilience of the Native communities and how they had and continue to shape the fabric of American society. We believe this should go without saying, but honoring and respecting Indigenous communities should not only be expected of us during November.

“Like with any heritage month, the month is just to remind us that the celebration of Native heritage should last all year,” Gordon said.

Nevertheless, as students at CSB+SJU, we can do more to be involved and active in supporting our Indigenous communities now and always. Attending these events and exhibits, no matter where your academic interests or career aspirations lie, is an appreciable first step to learn and honor the history of Native Nations, but it is just that; a first step. From there, it’s up to you to decide how to continue to be a respectful and productive ally.