00:00:00
Indigenous Community at Mac: A Panel on Identities, Culture, and Activism within the Twin Cities
When students like ask questions, it goes to questions and that's how we control, you know.
OK.
No.
Right?
Alright, so here we go.
We have a couple new people. Hi everyone.
Introduce myself my name is Macaya Reznor. I use she her pronouns. I am Kanaka, Maoli, or otherwise known as native Hawaiian. I am one of the diversity and inclusion follows here from McAllister admissions, but was also McAllister alarm for the class of 2019, so I majored in International Studies Minor in political science in a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism, it was quite a mouthful to say that on regular raises.
Anne enjoyed my time at McAllister. I was I played softball for RC softball. I was a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. I was a participant in pipe routing digital students for education or crowds of people education, the Student, Org, and couple other things. So just like everybody, all the other panelists just introduce yourselves a little bit.
Arcadic could you start please?
Sure.
But you need you hug me, which wasn't awake newroom hello my friends. Thank you for listening to us today. My name is Professor Katrina Phillips. I am an assistant professor in the history Department here at McAllister and I'm enrolled in the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibway. If you've never heard of us, that's totally cool because our reservation is.
Really, really tiny and we're up along the South Shore of Lake Superior in super northern Wisconsin, so. But yeah, I'm happy to be here today. Thanks for having me kya.
Jennings
So I'm Jennings mergen thought I used they them pronouns. I will this year be a senior at McAllister. I am studying. I'm majoring in history and biology and accidentally have a Poli Sci Minor. I'm sorry bout that.
Um, I am unenrolled because my dad was adopted by white people in the 60s.
But so in McAllister, I've been involved in pipe. I've been involved in.
Other programming of round.
Building names and land acknowledgement.
I've been a part of the students of color arts and Culture magazine and a bunch of other things.
And then sorry.
Hello.
Our house.
Cortana.
Awesome, thanks for sharing this time. Right now we are expecting a fourth panelist, but there's just like technical difficulties. That's the world we live in now, so we're pretty custom to patients with it. But of course, once I get going will allow her to introduce herself.
But in the meantime, we'll we'll just.
Trying to head. I just have a couple of questions laid out. The couple questions that we can start with, but of course if there are any questions feel free to ask them and then we will get them during a more formal Q&A time.
So and of course, any panelist you can just kind of raise your hand if you would like to answer them. And of course you do not have to answer any of them.
So the first one is how do or did you engage in identity exploration in classroom curriculums? Dialogue and discussions.
Makaya Resner
04:19:31 PM
How do/did you engage in identity exploration in classroom curriculum, dialogue, discussion?
I can answer that one I.
In my time at McAllister, have not.
Shyed away from introducing indigenous issues and reminding people in other fields, but indigenous will still exist.
Um, even if we aren't the subject being studied technically.
And sort of using that to push back against ideas that.
Indigenous people are are not here and not relevant, which is obviously false. They managed to find five of us for this payment.
Well, and I can. I can speak a little bit to that. As far as the you know, course development goes, you know, as as a professor of native history. I teach courses in kind of survey type courses on American Indian history. I teach courses on the American West and it's been a really great opportunity to have the ability to teach these kinds of classes because not only do the classes kind of become a space for.
You know students like her panelists I've had.
All of you in class at least once, which is awesome, but you know, it's really great to have an opportunity to.
Let the broader McAllister community know.
More about Native American and indigenous studies, not only as a field, but also its importance and relevance today and how what happened historically continues to affect indigenous nations today.
Awesome, thank you for sharing. I think we'll just take this time to welcome our 4th panelist real quick. Sorry that we're kind of out of order, but things happen. So if walkie, if you'd like to introduce yourself, Please do.
Am I on mute right now?
Nope, you're good to go.
Perfect first of all, I'm so sorry. I'm late. My name is aboki you she hurt her gender pronouns? I graduated from McAllister in 2015 so five years ago already.
And yeah, and McAllister, I was in American studies major. I was involved with the Native American student organization. I work for the Department of multicultural life for several years and was on student government and since I graduated I work for a member of Congress on health and Native American policy. Did research project on the black feet reservation on food sovereignty where my family is from an most recently graduated with a Masters in public health. And yeah, thank you so much for having me here and I look forward to your questions.
Thanks for sharing and I did put the first question in the chat. If you would like to answer it I can repeat it. How did? How do you or did you engage in identity exploration in classroom curriculum, dialogue and discussion?
Aisha Gonzalez
04:22:40 PM
Hi folks! At any point you have questions, you are more than welcome to submit them in the chat box on your screen. Please note that the questions will not immediately appear to you, and that’s okay. We can still see them on our side.
Yeah, sure, so since I was in American studies major, which is essentially the study of race and racism in kind of US social thought and policy. Alot of my classes were focused on studying identity and particularly racial identity, but also how that intersects with class, gender, sexuality, immigration status etc. So I took classes like women of feminisms, black feminist thought, politics, inequality. So while a lot of this work.
Was reading theory or history or political science? We also did a lot of personal reflection on how our own identity and positionality informed how we engaged in the world and therefore how we would be able to affect, change and advocate for justice.
So I feel like a lot of my classes were very much focused on this, since that's kind of what American Studies is. The study of racial identity specifically, yeah?
Thanks for sharing.
Makaya Resner
04:23:35 PM
Mac is a predominately and historically white institution; do you intentionally work to build relationships with Black, Indigenous and Students of Color in your classes/department? If so, how?
So got another question and I will put in the chat so McAllister is predominantly white and probably historically awai institution right PW I do? Or did you intentionally work to build relationships with vipac folks? You know, black indigenous students of color in your classes in your Department? If so, how?
How far?
Uh.
I can jump in, I feel like for me because there were very few native students while I was at McAllister, which is a pretty common experience at many, you know, predominantly and historically, white institutions, unfortunately, and just in higher education in general, the vast majority of my friends were other people of color and a huge part of my life at McAllister was my involvement with the Department of multicultural life where I worked for three years for as a cultural house program assistant.
So apologies if you talked about this already, but the cultural houses like a physical house run by the Department of multicultural life that is both a living space on the 2nd floor and then on the 1st floor is a community space where cultural lorries can have meetings and host events there which student staff can help plan. So I helped plan, you know Interactive Art Gallery's poetry, slams, movie screenings that focused not only on community building, particularly among students of color. An other marginalized students.
But also to extend our discussions of issues like racism, classism, homophobia, and on campus activism too, you know, and outside of the classroom setting, I really love the Department of multicultural life and the cultural house because it was so focused on empowering students of color specifically, and I feel like that's a big place. Where I found community at McAllister again just because there were not too many native students while I was there. But yeah, that's a great opportunity as well, and I think that.
There's lots of spaces on campus, particularly that the Department of multicultural life cultivates, at least while I was there that do kind of intentionally work to build relationships with and between bipac students and community. An yeah. I mean, it's I can't say enough good things about the Department of multicultural life.
Aisha Gonzalez
04:27:12 PM
The mission of the Department of Multicultural Life (DML) is to provide transformative leadership in creating a culture of diversity and justice that enables all Macalester students to respond to the complexities of the national and larger international community. With other College faculty and staff, the DML staff shares responsibility to maintain a living/learning environment for students that respects multiple perspectives and works towards equity and social justice for everyone.
https://www.macalester.edu/multiculturallife/#/0
Awesome, thanks for sharing.
The question we have is you know what spaces are available for students, but you know particularly indigenous students on campus to build community.
Makaya Resner
04:27:47 PM
What spaces are available to indigenous students to build community, in terms of culture and identity?
I think like.
I'm going to let all of you handle this one because I'm a faculty member and you will know more about this than I do.
I think like like Kubacki said, the DML is a great resource in cultivating community and intentionally building community and both the Diemel itself and the cultural house as just existing as physical spaces that allow students to gather.
Um?
Those are honestly probably the best too.
Physical space is available to students.
2.
Aisha Gonzalez
04:28:25 PM
Located at 37 Macalester Street, the Cultural House (C-House) is a safe space for students of color and indigenous students who are interested in learning from and contributing to a multicultural environment. The C-House strives to be a symbol of connection for people of color and Indigenous people at Macalester. Although the C-House is organized around the dismantling of racism, there is careful attention paid to the intersection of multiple identities, including gender, class, sexual orientation, national origin, age, ability, and religion. Programming and many cultural organizations who utilize the C-House are structured in a diasporic manner that recognizes that race may have variant meanings in an international context.
https://www.macalester.edu/multiculturallife/culturalhouse/#/0
Like interact around identity based relationships and communities.
And the The Sea House itself serves as.
Like a living space, there's a cooking space. There's a basement where Org sometimes meet, so it's it.
Again, as a Bochy said, it's just. It's a great space for community community building.
I think one thing one thing I'll say is well which this is a little bit varying off of on campus, but for me most of my kind of interactions with native communities, well, isn't McAllister was within the Twin Cities. For those of you who aren't from Minnesota or the Twin Cities, the Twin Cities have a really huge and strong native population. So while I was in college, I was able to attend community events like Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow, Skoda, native owned bookstores or coffee shops.
And then also for three years, I tutored for a Native American Youth Development program in Minneapolis, which for me, all of this was very accessible with public transportation and very nearby. I didn't have a car at the time and McAllister provided discounted transit passes for students. So one thing I would say as well as yes, there is a great support system. At least I felt like there was for students of color in general on mcallister's campus, but the Twin Cities are also a great place to really engage with other native people attend.
You know, off campus events and stuff like that since the on campus community is pretty small, which again is common at a lot of colleges.
It's funny 'cause it's kind of goes into our next question from campus to off. And before we go to the next question I just kind of want to bring up that, you know, there's some physical spaces, but there also is just the unity of pipe and if somebody would like to.
You know I was a paper, but if everybody would like to jump in a little bit more about what that is.
Students do in pipe.
Oh
wow.
Wow.
Aisha Gonzalez
04:30:59 PM
Proud Indigenous People for Education (PIPE) Student Group - pipe@macalester.edu
PIPE strives to create dialogue and an awareness of issues affecting American Indian and other Indigenous peoples.
And.
Yeah.
Also, one of the things we found tried to do with pipe is center that are most important role is to provide a space in community for indigenous students to exist without having to.
Apologize or justify why we should be here, and once that groundwork is laid then we can if we choose, put our energies towards.
Reeducating the McAllister community, but it's not. It's entered first and foremost on what we as indigenous people there indeed.
Appreciate you sharing like those perspectives. I definitely felt that when I was in pipe I appreciated that there was conversations about.
You know who, what? What is indigeneity? Who is indigenous? You know, kind of making it a very welcoming space to talk about the identity politics. You know, the very colonial minded identity politics of race within the indigenous community, gender, affiliation for enrollment, privileges you know, and stuff like these things. We gotta talk about and sometimes.
As you can imagine, early at those things are not always known to the public, and so it's a mixture. Jennings says of taking care of.
Our community and.
Then sharing with others so. But now we're going to backtrack again to talk about what kind of like resources?
You know are offered in the Twin Studies. You know aboki mentioned a couple of things. But there are so many others. If you guys have any affiliation with other organizations or groups in the Twin Cities to focus on the indigenous community.
Makaya Resner
04:34:18 PM
What off campus resources/organizations are available to students in the Twin Cities? How close to/far away from campus are they and how do students access them?
So to kind of go off what what Aboki said. You know there are, there are a lot of great organizations that you can become involved with the American Indian cultural corridor is in Minneapolis. It has. It's just awesome. It has pow wow grounds which is a coffee shop. It has which. So it's a coffee shop. But then it also has an art Gallery that's called All my relations and there's.
Veronica Zapata
04:35:00 PM
Have any questions? Submit them here so that our panelists can answer them!
The Minneapolis American Indian Center, which is a really great space. They've got the gatherings cafe in there. They've got you know, all kinds of places to meet and.
Makaya Resner
04:35:30 PM
All my Relations Arts http://www.allmyrelationsarts.com/
You know, have conversations with people, and I know that a number of you have gone to you know the pow wows at Augsburg College. I think some of you might have gone to kind of the big one at the University of Minnesota hosts and I think one thing that's really incredible about being in the Twin Cities. And you know, we've all mentioned that McAllister does have a small indigenous and native student population. It's not a fact. We're going to try to hide in anyway, but.
You know it's it's just what happens when you think about education as a whole and higher education at the bear and the barriers that native and indigenous students face in order to get to someplace like McAllister.
But though the work that pipe does you know it's not to sound like.
Paternal or anything, but it's like, you know the work that all of you have done in pipe that you're doing now. The work you're doing. You know, for those of you that have graduated, is just really incredible to see that community that you've helped develop and maintain, and so not only is it.
You know the kind of small but mighty group at McAllister, but it's also.
The broader native community that you have the chance to be apart of at a place like McAllister.
Zoe Allen
04:36:34 PM
Division of Indian Work in Minneapolis https://www.diw-mn.org/
Makaya Resner
04:36:38 PM
Minneapolis American Indian Center founded in 1975, is one of the first urban American Indian Centers. Programs that are guided by strong Native values; including preserving and supporting cultural traditions through art, youth and intergenerational programs that promote healthy lifestyles. https://www.maicnet.org/
Makaya Resner
04:36:58 PM
Division of Indian Work https://www.diw-mn.org/
Yeah, there's a lot of great organizations. A place I worked for or volunteered for for three years is called the division of Indian work, which is a separate organization. But some people volunteer there. Some people volunteer at the Indian Center, other organizations. Another thing I want to add is that the Twin Cities are pretty racially diverse, so there's also a lot of other cultural organizations to get involved with, not just Native American organizations, particularly if you're interested in the arts. So for example.
Aisha Gonzalez
04:37:10 PM
https://penumbratheatre.org/
The Penumbra Theatre is in Saint Paul, which is a black run Theatre company. Theater. Mu is an Asian American arts organization. The mixed blood theater is multiracial theater which has a goal of exploring race through theater. So a lot of my classes were really engaged off campus.
Katrina Phillips
04:37:36 PM
Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (https://www.miwrc.org/) -- we've had students volunteer there and work there, too.
Again, it was in American studies major, so a lot of my classes were or all of my classes. Essentially, we're focused on race and racism. But yeah, there's a ton. A ton of great organizations. I feel like there's for people who aren't from Minnesota or aren't familiar with it. There's an assumption that Minnesota is an extremely white place which to a certain extent is true, but there's also really vibrant communities of color in the Twin Cities, and a really vibrant American Indian community in the Twin Cities. And it's just a really great place to live.
Makaya Resner
04:37:57 PM
Indigenous Roots Cultural Center is dedicated to building, supporting, and cultivating opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and communities of color through cultural arts and activism. https://indigenous-roots.org/
Learn Yeah both, both in terms of kind of cultural and social things to do in the Twin Cities and then also in terms of research and going to museums and volunteering at different organizations. So yeah, just wanted to bring that up as well.
I'll just mention that you know we are putting a couple links in the chat if you're interested, so the ones that were brought up.
You know, like, like Professor Fellows mentioned, like the cultural corridor is such a unique area like the murals and stuff they actually so in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the black lives matter movement like the native indigenous community in the Twin Cities, really gathered too.
Katrina Phillips
04:38:50 PM
New Native Theatre is another local theatre company (https://newnativetheatre.org/)
Obviously first show solidarity with the movement as stated by a couple of Ames members from the American Indian movement, but they also kind of rallied together to kind of protect their neighborhood and and that was centered around sharing food and providing make sure everybody's needs are met during this time, especially with the pandemic, but also something they did when they boarded up the outside of the American Indian Center. You know, they put the big boards out, then they had, like mostly youth actually, but like.
Do these huge murals down the sides of the American Indian center and I think it's going to be a permanent fixture because they are so gorgeous.
I'll see if I can find photos, but definitely something it just shows like in the wake of something like that that people kind of rally together too.
So now there's really beautiful.
I'm.
And this is one is kind of similar to just like what's out there in the Twin Cities, but also how did the Twin Cities, indigenous community or resources in the Twin Cities help you? If any kind of like academically focused?
Activities research internships.
You know how can you go through that path?
Makaya Resner
04:40:30 PM
Has the location and resources of the Twin Cities contributed to any research projects, internships, or classes?
I can say a few things, so as I mentioned, I volunteered for three years at the division of Indian work, which was a huge kind of part of my experience at McAllister. Also, for several of my classes we were made to work with off campus organizations. So for example, I was in a school to prison class and we were supposed to essentially provide research support for an organization that was doing a project related to ending the school to prison pipeline. One focus specifically on.
Kind of the native community is for my politics in any quality class. We had an assignment where we were supposed to especially compare educational access and educational quality in a high income school or school in a high income neighborhood in the Twin Cities and a school in a low income neighborhood in the Twin Cities. So I actually instead decided to compare the experiences of students of color in a majority white high income school and students of color in kind of a low income area, but.
Essentially, like a Native American cultural revitalization school. So for that project I interviewed local native educational activists who I'd met through working at the division of Indian work.
And was able to kind of look at the very different experiences of students in a very supportive and empowering and kind of culturally focused environment, even if it is in a low income neighborhood and students experiences in a majority white high income school where they faced a lot more policing, suspension and stuff like that. And again, I was able to do this research because of the connections I had made while volunteering at the division of Indian work. So that's just one example of kind of.
Yeah, engaging off campus for academic purposes specifically.
I will just mention that you know through our internship office, there's you know there's something like 300 plus different internship locations around the Twin Cities, so there's plenty to choose from. But of course, if there's ones that you're interested in, you can. You can get that started, and although she really lucky my senior year to intern at the Minnesota Indian women's Resource Center and actually interned with another McAllister indigenous alone. So like through those connections you know she was like come work for me.
I was able to kind of see like what kind of world looks like, especially social work so.
But there's always those kind of opportunities as well.
Yeah.
A cigarette, another question kind of go back toward you know back to campus.
Just from your eyes is from y'all's experiences and without your Presser Phillips to talk about her classes, what classes are available at McAllister that?
Focus or in center at anyway. Kind of indigenous studies.
Sometimes they're not as obvious, but you can always kind of make the case.
Makaya Resner
04:43:21 PM
What courses, in which departments, focused on and/or incorporated Indigenous Studies in their curriculum?
I feel like you're waiting for me to answer this question, so I am in the history Department and so like I mentioned before.
Aside from when I teach, you know the capstone class in the History Department. Literally all of my classes talk about American Indian history and indigenous studies in some way, shape or form. That's kind of why they hired me, but we also have classes in American studies. There have been classes taught in the English Department, anthropology, sociology.
Oh, what am I missing?
Oh, we have a professor of Geography Department who's done work with indigenous communities. And again, it's the classes might not necessarily be super obvious, but we've, you know, we we definitely have faculty members. Oh, linguistics, I want to make sure I mentioned linguistics.
And you know it's.
It's really interesting to see the ways that the research and the teaching that my colleagues do, how it intersects with the work I do. I actually had the opportunity to Co teach a class with a sociology professor who studies global indigeneity, and as someone who does, you know, I I pretty much stick within the very artificial boundaries of what we consider to be the continental United States. But it was a fantastic opportunity because I got to learn.
About you know Global Indigeneity an you know he got more of an introduction to history. You know in the United States and things like that. So even if there aren't classes that are always taught, you know as faculty, we do have opportunities to apply for grants that we can Co teach with other faculty and really make sure that we offer a wide variety of courses and actually both Jennings and Zoe word in that class. The Kodak class.
So.
I'm sure there's stuff I missed, but I think that was a somewhat decent overview.
Another thing to wait. Oh yeah, another thing to add as well is that.
You also often have opportunities to do independent research, so for your senior capstone, or I don't know if all departments have it, but a lot of departments have a thing called an honors project, which is essentially a yearlong intensive research project for my honours project, I did research on youth suicide on the black feet reservation, which is where my family is from. Professor Phillips was one of my advisors on that, but it was a year long project where it was. I interviewed social work and mental health practitioners on the black feet. Reservation did a lot of historical research.
On kind of how mental health is framed in indigenous communities, how colonialism impacts mental health. So there's also opportunities like that where even if the class itself is not specifically about indigenous people, you can definitely have that as your research project, or do independent studies, or have your honors project or thesis on native issues if that's what you're passionate about.
Briefly agree, I kind of low key put on my LinkedIn that I added indigenous studies even though it is not offered because that's essentially what you do. That is your focus. If that's what you choose.
Similarly, like I would take a class like international human rights and I like wrote about water rights right in fall 2016 during the standing rock protest, right?
All the way to when I was studying abroad in Switzerland, which you were like. What can you do in Switzerland with indigenous studies, you know, but there's actually like.
The.
You know all the international institutions that focus on indigenous rights? You know, kind of like or in Switzerland, so you can take this and kind of form it as you go along and and do the research in class and take it abroad for example.
And there's also the Mellon Mays program as well. An Zoe. You're currently a fellow and Kaya, you were a Mellon Mays too, right?
And you know that's another opportunity where you can work is that that's two years, right?
Yes.
Veronica Zapata
04:48:11 PM
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship: https://www.macalester.edu/igc/deansoffice/mmuf/
And so that's, you know, as a back he said, not only do you have your capstone opportunities, there's honors opportunities. There's also the Mellon Mays undergraduate fellowship, which gives you two years of. I guess you could say probably somewhat intense research and writing opportunities, and you know the opportunity to work closely with the faculty member, and I think that's that's another thing. We should probably mention too. Is that with the capstone, an honors an Mellon Mays and.
Other opportunities like that at a place like McAllister, you have the opportunity to work with faculty members that are we might not know we might not be really directly related or be in that exact same vein, but it's an opportunity for you to learn more about a particular subject that you're really passionate about. Whether it's related to indigenous issues or history, or you know sovereignty. International Studies, things like that and so.
It might not necessarily be.
Right up front with, you know the course schedule and things like that, but there are definitely opportunities like like this for students at McAllister.
I.
Hello.
Awesome thanks.
If you're interested in looking for like more classes, I mean if you just go on.
You know Google Fall 2020 classes. You'll be able to see other classes and same one students would see and you'll be surprised how many of them will talk about it in their summaries about something with indigenous people. So it definitely seems to be like.
It is increasing since since I was a first year there is more and more classes every year they have some kind of component of it.
Katrina Phillips
04:51:01 PM
https://www.macalester.edu/registrar/schedules/
I just component also readings. You know, by Indigenous.
This is people, so it's always really nice.
So I'm kind of change the tone a little bit. If we make a talk about traditions on campus that you know really center indigenous students and then maybe just some other traditions that you that you love.
Makaya Resner
04:51:20 PM
What are some traditions on campus that center Indigenous students? What are other traditions you enjoy?
Every year for Indigenous Peoples Day be host, sort of an inaugural event, both that serves both as.
The first event that pipe as an org really holds during the calendar year with new members as well as.
Sometimes for a lot of people who attend, it's their first.
Instance interacting with actual indigenous people about indigenous issues or even just in general.
Um?
So I always like how we can use that to shape.
Where we go for the rest of the year? 2 years ago we talked a lot about.
Ah, my issues in the broader Minnesota indigenous community and focus that ended.
That year, events on like things like line three last year we centered it more McAllister specific which led to us as we said the building renaming campaign.
So yes, I I I enjoyed that.
I think, correct me if I'm wrong aboki, but when you are a student, were you part of something with the flags?
Yeah, so kind of two major things happened when I was a student. One is that we there was only three of us who organized it, but we hosted the first pow wow that had been hosted at McAllister since the 90s, so I feel like yes there are some traditions that are done on a regular basis. But then there's also sometimes really kind of big things that happen like the pow wow. We also hosted a two day conference for the 150th anniversary of.
On the Dakota war in Minnesota. And yeah, one of the things we advocated for as well is the inclusion of tribal flags across the campus. So at if any of you have visited McAllister pre pandemic in Cafe Mac which is the school cafeteria which is in the campus center, they line it with the flags from all the nations that students are from. But at the time they didn't include tribal nations all and they also did the same thing at graduation where there would be kind of a procession where.
Students held like flags from their country to represent all the countries that students came from and we're graduating from an tribal flags were also excluded from that which at the time they had ruled that it needed to be recognized as a sovereign government by the United Nations to be included in that grouping. Anyways. So we spent a while advocating emailing the president on a regular basis, saying You should really include tribal flags as well.
I think it was my junior senior year 2014 or 2015 that we were able to get tribal flags included both in cafe Max. So kind of on permanent display in the campus center and then included at graduation as well, which was very cool. Yeah, so now they have flags from different tribal nations that students are from as well as nations from all across the world that students are from.
Thanks.
The world.
Appraise appraise note about the pow wow we we planned it and we had the funding all lined up and we were going to have a new one and it was going to be this coming spring and.
Then
So we are hoping to at some point.
Awesome and some other thing I remember from pipe. I think the fall is usually when there's like a ton of events going on 'cause you have indigenous peoples day and then you have Native American heritage month in November.
Yep.
And we want to talk about, you know, I think one of my favorite events.
Well, there was always an in the kitchen with so that in the kitchen with is a Department of multicultural life sponsored event where you're in the house, the cultural house and you claim the night and you get to make what you want and we historically would always make Indian tacos Frybread and fail so.
Aisha Gonzalez
04:56:00 PM
In the Kitchen With - https://www.macalester.edu/multiculturallife/culturalhouse/#/0
We've come out all shapes, sizes and colors every year, but but in the last few years.
As in colors, just like indigenous.
Yep, exactly.
But every year, there's always like a little bit something else, like somebody brings things. So why didn't you bring wild rice one year and?
You just try to like spice it up a little bit.
Oh, but can you guys talk about any of your other favorite like speakers who come to campus events that have been held?
Wow.
Veronica Zapata
04:56:39 PM
Don't forget to submit your questions!
Once at about Winona Laduke, as well as that her son is a McAllister Alam and we were at McAllister at the same time, so also connected to McAllister.
When there's a pipe is also hosted film festival's and you know documentary screenings. We had. It feels like forever ago because time has lost all sense of meaning. But we hosted.
John little doctor John Little and his brother Ken Little an their film there documentary film more than a word about the Washington football team man.
Words, mascots and things like that. We had an event. This was more of a campus wide event, but we brought in. You know, we've brought in artists and activists and.
And things like that. And it's part of the what I like about things like that is it's not solely driven by pipe. You know, I'm I'm pretty sure the event where Winona Laduke spoke was also.
Obviously it was supported by by pipe, but we also had.
Support whether it was financial marketing would have you from the broader McAllister community because you know, we have things like the DML that is always a wonderful supporter of these events, and you can. Also, you know we've worked with individual departments on campus to help.
You know, support the funding and kind of get the word out there about things like that and also my one of my favorite things that pipe does is every year on Indigenous Peoples Day when in the past about yeah, I think it was a year you were here. You know that the group will set up caution tape around the Humanities building turned Neil Hall turned back to.
Makaya Resner
04:58:56 PM
Law Warschaw Art Gallery on Mac campus featured Nicholas Galanin "Everything We've Ever Been, Everything We are Right Now" https://www.macalester.edu/gallery/pastexhibits/2019-20/everything-weve-ever-been-everything-we-are-right-now/
The Humanities Building. One year you all put up signs that was, like, you know you are an indigenous land and things like that. And then this last year the last academic year when you renamed all of the buildings and had these really beautiful, you know images of you know what they imagined. The renamed building would be with Little Biography about the indigenous figure that they had used to rename a building and.
Oh yes, Kyle, that's a great one. You know? Nicholas Galanin was here and you know, had an exhibit in the Gallery on campus. And so it's been a really.
Great way to see.
You know what avenues you find for this kind of work and what was? Was it a Kagan?
That you hosted.
Yes.
And you know there are. You know there are. There are.
It didn't go very well. It was a timing issue. It wasn't our fault.
It was, it was a timing issue, but an an you know but some but sometimes you know that's part of growth. You know you you try something and it might not work, but you know the in the kitchen with has always been a great event and you know to see what what you decide to do for indigenous peoples day and you know it's.
A lot of the work that we have to do, you know whether your students or staff or a faculty member is about raising awareness? You know not. I don't want to say it's necessarily of our existence as a whole. I think the McAllister community is kind of a little bit past that, but of making sure that you know.
Were included in these conversations. You know that when we have events like this.
I mean, when Winona Laduke was here and people were literally like sitting in the aisles and you could see, you know the kind of the folks in charge being like Oh my God like we cannot like we can't have any more people in this space like it's going to be a fire issue. And so I think it's it's been. It's been really great to see.
How that changes and how it develops and and the work that you all put into this so.
I think at this point I just should make a, you know another call for questions from students we love to hear your thoughts about anybody who said if you need any clarification from any of the panel panelist.
Questions can range from academics, social life, to.
You know where is the best place to eat?
Maybe I should put that out there actually.
Fast food within walking distance of McAllister or maybe 1 bus ride?
Makaya Resner
05:02:15 PM
Gatherings Cafe https://www.maicnet.org/gatherings-cafe/
No.
Fun fact, Bochy and I are from the same town, and we went to the same high school and I didn't know that until like not that long ago.
And the only time we've met that when we ran into each other in a gas station in Montana.
Gas station bathroom.
So.
Yep.
That's how the role of it works though.
I also put the link in for gatherings cafe. It's a cafe. It opened in the American Indian Center, so I guess it'll be far and he's not too far, but more than Abbas.
And their whole goal is just to have like a clean food like traditional food, but really nice. They cater, you know so.
Yep.
Another thing to mention is that for those of you who are familiar with the Sue Shaffer, Sean Sherman is at his name. He does awesome catering in the Twin Cities and they just recently opened up a like Cafe Slash Gift store sort of thing in midtown global market which is.
Makaya Resner
05:03:42 PM
The Sioux Chef https://sioux-chef.com/
Basically, just like a market with a bunch of like little restaurants, installs and stuff like that. So if you ever visit the Twin Cities, that would be a great place to check out.
And a.
And yeah, that's it, that's native foods.
Yeah, he has a cookbook too.
We had another.
We had another plan and we were gonna have a staff an.
Faculty and alumni dinner and we were yet the Sous Chef, Decatur. We had the money all lined up and then.
Aisha Gonzalez
05:04:02 PM
Midtown Global Market https://midtownglobalmarket.org/
Next year.
Broccoli glow
I know.
You can't tell me these things because now I pulled up the sous chef website and now I'm really hungry.
Look so good.
So we're kind of just talking about the twin city is there were some things I mentioned earlier, but if anybody wants to add like actual events that they've been to in the Twin Cities that you know kind of focus on this topic.
I think one of the main ones has been brought up is that even though McAllister hasn't always had a powwow Augsburg University, not that far from us is very consistent.
Every spring, and that's such a cool. It's huge. It's indoors or not too cold. They have vendors food, so it's pretty fun.
Yeah, I also always enjoyed Indigenous Peoples Day hosted by the Indian Center.
Aisha Gonzalez
05:05:10 PM
10 minutes remaining folks. Please add any final questions here. If you have questions after today, you can always reach out to us at multiculturalrecruitment@macalester.edu.
Makaya Resner
05:05:19 PM
Native American Community Development Institute believes that “all American Indian people have a place, purpose and future strengthened by sustainable community development.”
https://www.nacdi.org/home
The last time I went it was catered by the sous chef, so there is also amazing food. But yeah, I mean it it it varies from year to year, but sometimes they have poets, perform dancers, perform speeches. Yeah so I feel like the Twin Cities has a lot of great native events both around specific kind of Holidays like indigenous peoples day or pow wows, but then also protests or.
You know, kind of responses to action, so I feel like there's always a lot of stuff going on in the community, and there's also like the Indian center regular events. Like you know, Dakota origin way language classes and stuff like that. If you're interested in attending and getting involved with that sort of thing as well.
No.
And also, even like we've mentioned that Wednesdays is such a major Metro hub of of so many different types of people. But it also including indigenous peoples from all over the world. So as I mentioned, I'm Hawaiian Ann, I came here and I was like there's no other Hawaiians in Minnesota like they just can't be so. But actually found Facebook group with like thousands of members throughout the Midwest and allows, which is like a like a hula school and.
Who?
Luaus and.
Grief is a new restaurant. I'll drop it in there.
And another thing is also I've come across a like an Aztec dance troupe that have been going through a lot of events lately, and they're really fun to watch. I can't do. I could never do what they do.
The other.
Makaya Resner
05:07:14 PM
Ono Hawaiian Food (Hawaiian food) https://www.facebook.com/onohawaiianplates/
Yes.
We we as pipe when this year. So we got there earlier. We couldn't find her but the rest of us all carpooled.
And Yeah, it was. It was a great. It was a great experience. Almost hit Bernie Sanders wife with my wheelchair accidentaly, all kinds of all kinds of fun stuff.
This is.
Katrina Phillips
05:08:34 PM
Birchbark Books in Minneapolis is Louise Erdrich's store: https://birchbarkbooks.com/
Makaya Resner
05:08:44 PM
Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue Dance https://kstp.com/news/aztec-dance-group-uses-art-as-activism-in-the-wake-of-george-floyds-death-june-12-2020/5758524/
Well, I I don't know how completely unrelated this is. There's not really a good transition out of a story like that, but Minneapolis is also home to birchbark books, which is Louise Erdrich's bookstore. I'll drop that link in the chat as well, and it's right now. They're only open for, you know, on line sales and phone sales, but it's such an incredible store and you know, obviously they have a website if.
You want to find more books and things like that, but yeah, I mean it's just I don't want to say there are like little pockets.
Around the Twin Cities but.
And you know some of it is just a matter of.
Makaya Resner
05:09:06 PM
Birchbark Books https://birchbarkbooks.com/
Knowing where to look, knowing what you're looking for, but there are definitely opportunities for you know.
Book stores and restaurants North envisions is another awesome store. I spend way too much money at Birch bark and at Northland visions, but that's OK, but you know it's there. They're all over the Twin Cities and it's a really.
Aisha Gonzalez
05:09:30 PM
Northland Visions https://northlandvisions.com/
Thriving community. It's been, you know, there's been a really long indigenous presence here, not only historically speaking, but also.
In recent years, and it's been really incredible to see to see that growth as well and to be able to.
Engage with such such a large community.
Definitely.
Julie, at this point I'm going to go into the final questions and these ones are definitely maybe more catered towards students. But I mean, we've all been students so we've all went through this process.
So what is the question you wish you and asked during your college admissions process, either while you're applying or when you were deciding schools?
Makaya Resner
05:10:19 PM
What is a question you wish you had asked in the college admissions process, either as you were applying or deciding where to attend?
So I applied to college at this point along time ago, 'cause I graduated five years ago. So it's applying back in 20.
Watch yourself Kubacki.
My day no, I'm not. I have a specific question. I was wish I had asked because I was ended up being very very happy with McAllister. But I think my piece of advice would just be to really try to find a college where you think would fit. Regardless whether you've heard of it or not, I had never heard of McAllister before. Actually, my mom suggested I apply there because she loves the Twin Cities.
And it ended up being the only school I applied to besides my local state school, and I absolutely loved it. So yeah, I mean, I think you should focus on where you think you will find community where you think you'll fit in. Some people thrive at huge state schools. Some people thrive at, you know, small liberal arts colleges, which is much more kind of. I was much more interested in an intimate community like that, but there's no right or wrong answer when you're applying for schools. Just, you know, try to figure out what fits best for you.
An yeah.
She could also just be a piece of advice as well.
If if you go to a place to visit and it makes you viscerally uncomfortable.
Don't don't go there, you're uncomfortable for a reason.
It doesn't matter if you know the programs are allegedly great or your family really thinks you fit in there. Well. If it's your decision and if you're not comfortable, don't go there.
So if a back is going to say she applied for college along time ago, well, fine, then I will say I at least applied to College in this century, so I count thank you very much.
Don't like it?
I think is this must not just be me, but I don't know if your mic is working.
Is that everybody? Just? I thought maybe it was just like.
It's still not working. Did you hit mute on accident?
She's green.
Yeah.
Wisdom lost.
I thought maybe it was with me. All of you seem to be listening.
I would be polite.
Could you not hear anything I said?
It's still not really working.
Katrina Phillips
05:15:09 PM
My airpods died!
Oh no.
Katrina Phillips
05:15:15 PM
I can hear all of you!
Airport.
I know we were all just acting like we can hear it, but.
Alright, well mean time. If she's going to type.
Katrina Phillips
05:15:29 PM
Thanks team
I guess time is up right?
I think My Little piece of advice would just be this is maybe for when you're admitted or when you choose to go to a school is just remember that like you're supposed to be there.
Katrina Phillips
05:15:44 PM
If you're applying for Macalester, know that you deserve to be there!
On so many different levels, obviously you were admitted and they want you to go there. So just remember that.
Katrina Phillips
05:15:49 PM
That's basically what I was saying.
Um?
Don't listen to the.
The stereo types out what you want to have, like, Oh your diversity person. You know or quotas. And I think we hear those things a lot as indigenous peoples and as so unfair. It's such a distraction from what's actually important, which is for you to get your education and it's not good for your mental health. So just know that you're supposed to be there and.
You know you contribute to the community and yeah, just remember that.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Alright.
Yes.
Where was last of my questions and we have hit time so I just want to thank all of you so much for taking your time to.
To share your knowledge with not only our participants but with me, I love hearing about it. And if you are comfortable only threw up till you can drop like an email. If you want students reach out to you but no worries I'm going to do that.
Abaki Beck
05:17:00 PM
abaki.r.beck@gmail.com - currently live in St Louis
And I encouraged.
Jennings Mergenthal
05:17:00 PM
jmergent@macalester.edu
Makaya Resner
05:17:01 PM
mresner1@macalester.edu
Zoe Allen
05:17:02 PM
zallen@macalester.edu
Students too.
Katrina Phillips
05:17:04 PM
kphilli2@macalester.edu
Dolphin contact any of us here, talk about classes, talk about.
Aisha Gonzalez
05:17:18 PM
multiculturalrecruitment@macalester.edu
Student live what's going on Twin Cities if you have more specific admissions questions, I encourage you to either reach out to me or to our admissions at mcallister.edu email.
Yeah, I'm so glad we were able to do this, and you know, Mahalo Nui.
Thank you so much.
Thank you all.
Thank you.
Bye.