Students with the First Nations Student Association at the University of Kansas plan to raise a tipi on campus in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day.
Students plan to gather at noon Monday, Oct. 9, to raise the tipi on the lawn of Strong Hall. The tradition started in 2021 and continued in 2022.
If you would like to volunteer to help put up or take down the tipi, fill out the form at this link.
KU’s Native American Initiatives is also hosting two panels that are open to the public.
The first, in partnership with FNSA, is a student panel, Celebrating Native Identities. Melissa Peterson, director of tribal relations for NAI, will moderate. That’s set for 3 p.m. Monday in the Office of Multicultural Affairs in Sabatini Multicultural Center, 1299 Oread Ave.
“For KU staff whose departments work involves supporting Native American students, the student panel is a great opportunity to learn more about their experience on campus,” NAI wrote in a Facebook post about the events. “Additionally, if your department or school has a land acknowledgment practice, please attend these events as an opportunity to gain experience with our community at this time of celebration with and for Native people.”
The second panel is Celebrating Indian Centers, set for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10 in the Jayhawk Room of the Kansas Union, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd.
Gaylene Crouser, executive director of the Kansas City Indian Center, and Carole Cadue-Blackwood, social worker/case manager for KCIC, will speak on the panel with D’Arlyn Bell, board member of the Indigenous Community Center of Lawrence. Sierra Two Bulls, who is NAI’s Haskell/KU exchange coordinator and also an ICC board member, will moderate.
Bell and Two Bulls spoke at Tuesday’s Lawrence City Commission meeting, where Mayor Lisa Larsen proclaimed Oct. 9 as Indigenous Peoples Day.
“Going forward, we intend to be a connector for anyone in the community to get involved in efforts to support and encourage Native American empowerment and visibility,” Bell said. “We want to help facilitate relationships to help create more organizations, nonprofits and projects to help meet the community needs and eradicate Native erasure.”
Keep an eye out for more events and updates on FNSA’s Facebook page, facebook.com/FNSAatKU. Learn more about KU NAI on their Facebook page, facebook.com/NativeatKU, and website, nativesuccess.ku.edu.
Look for updates from the ICC on Facebook, facebook.com/IndigenousCommunityCenterLawrenceKS, and find out more about the KC Indian Center from their LinkTree, linktr.ee/kcindiancenter.
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