Grace LaTourelle-
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is on Monday, Oct. 14th, and will be honored on campus with a variety of events and is supported by the President’s Council for Indigenous Relations (PCIR).
“It’s a great opportunity for students to educate themselves on Indigenous ways and…hear some stories that need to be told,” PCIR student representative and Sophomore Malayna Elder said.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated across the country on the second Monday in October.
“It began as a counter-celebration held on the same day as the US federal holiday of Columbus Day, which honors Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Some people do not observe Columbus Day at all, citing the lasting harm Indigenous tribes suffered because of Columbus’ contributions to the European colonization of the Americas,” PCIR Co-Chair Kathi Tunheim said.
The events on Monday will begin with the Smudging Ceremony. Everyone will meet at Three Flags at 8:45 a.m. and proceed to the new radio telescope area behind Sohre Hall. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m., led by Gustavus’ Elder in Residence, Joe Whitehawk. According to the Gustavus website, the sacred practice is held to “cleanse, purify, and bless the Earth, as well as heal, protect, and restore balance.”
“Joe Whitehawk as our Elder in Residence brings much-needed wisdom, stories, and experiences to our campus and PCIR efforts, planting seeds for students, faculty, and staff to have opportunities to learn and connect with him through class visits and Truth and Healing Circles…” PCIR Co-Chair, Katie Boone said.
Throughout the day on Monday as well as Tuesday, certain classes will be meeting with representatives in the Interpretive Center in the Arboretum. There will be room for those not in those classes to come in and listen as well.
The speakers are Elder Joe Whitehawk, Elder Wilfred Keeble, and Tina Yellow.
“Elder Wilfred Keeble will be coming in from Crow Creek Reservation, the place where Dakota people have been exiled to since the historic events that occurred in 1862. Wilfred served as the staff carrier for the Dakota 38 +2 ride for its last ten years… and is coming to share the story of that ride and the documentary, and to provide our institution an opportunity to engage with a new ride that is underway,” Boone said. “Tina Yellow is being mentored and supported by our Elders as she is returning back to her culture after serving as an Attorney for over 30 years. Tina is working to support the startup of a new organization in partnership with the Dakota community.”
At the end of the day on Monday, there will be a screening of the Dakota 38+2 Wokiksuye Horse Ride in Wallenberg Auditorium, which is a free, non-profit documentary. The screening will begin at 6 p.m. The documentary highlights the Ride from South Dakota to the site of the execution in Mankato. The Dreamer, Jim Miller, dreamed of this Ride in 2005.
“It is important for all of us to care about other human beings, other cultures, and to educate our family members and friends on what really happened back in 1862. St. Peter is only 10 miles from Mankato, MN, where 38 + 2 men were hanged on Dec. 26, 1862, the site of the largest mass execution in US history. They were hanged by the government during the US-Dakota Conflict of 1862,” Tunheim explained.
The Ride, which was empowering in respect to the Dakota 38+2, ended in 2022. However, there are now conversations about restarting the Ride with a new focus.
“The original Dreamer who dreamed this has passed on but the ideas have not,” PCIR member and Gustavus English Professor Elizabeth Kubek said.
Elder Whitehawk described that restarting the Ride would have more of a focus on reconciliation between the Indigenous people and the land.
The PCIR, which started during the 2021-2022 academic year, has worked on various projects to help facilitate reconciliation as well. Gustavus now has a land acknowledgment, which is available to read on the PCIR website through the Gustavus website.
“…Gustavus is on Dakota land. So educating ourselves on the history and being more involved in it and…coming together is something that’s really important,” Elder Whitehawk said. “The land acknowledgment is really important, especially as an Indigenous student on campus, to help repair these relationships and acknowledge that the land we’re on has a history that was long before us.”
More information about the PCIR Charge and Indigenous History in St. Peter is available on their website as well. Students are encouraged to learn more about Indigenous history and relations, especially with the rich history within this college and town.
“It definitely touches our community at a campus level and helps acknowledge the history of the Indigenous students on campus. It’s really important because it’s been something that’s kind of brushed off in the past. The acknowledgment of it and creating more inclusive space has been super important and also just super refreshing,” Elder Whitehawk said.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend and participate in the Indigenous Peoples’ Day events. There will also be opportunities later in the semester, with the Truth and Healing Circles in November.
“For students to come to some of these events and see how the threads all come together is really exciting, how our college can build this kind of work over years,” Kubek said. “It’s an opportunity for us to advocate for more involvement, courses, and relationships with the community.”
Through classes offered, extra research and readings, and conversations, Gusties may be able to learn more and further educate themselves.
“Being more open to these tough conversations, while they can be uncomfortable, they are important conversations to have,” Elder Whitehawk explained. “Take a chance to look around and acknowledge your surroundings too.”