Northland College celebrates indigenous cultures in March

Northland College hosts several events as part of Indigenous Cultures Awareness Month in March.

The events promote awareness and understanding of Native American culture through a new Native American and Indigenous Cultures Center established last fall at the college. The events, further offerings in the Northland College Community Connections series, are free and open to the public.

“The students, staff and faculty at Northland are excited to support activities that promote and preserve all aspects of indigenous cultures,” says Katrina Werchouski, coordinator for Multicultural Programs at Northland College and Native American and Indigenous Cultures Center Fellow. “We at Northland see the events during Indigenous Cultures Awareness Month as just one example of efforts to research and facilitate cultural exchanges while upholding traditions, ceremonies, languages and arts of Native American culture in the region.”

Indigenous Cultures Awareness Month includes discussions on cultural sensitivity involving members of the Northland College Native American Student Association. On Thursday, the group gives a presentation on how to initiate respectful interaction with other cultures and eliminate stereotypes. In addition, Native American Awareness Days runs March 19-23, featuring daily events that range from an Anishinaabe drum presentation, Native American Museum tours, storytelling and more.

Indigenous Cultures Awareness Month will wrap up with the 38th annual Northland College Spring Powwow on March 24 and a presentation at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland on March 26 featuring Anishinaabe elder and water walker Josephine Mandamin of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve in Canada.

For more information, go to www.northland.edu/naicc.

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