04
November
2022
|
08:00 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month

Throughout November, Cal State San Marcos will be celebrating and recognizing the contributions of American Indians with a series of special events as part of Native American Heritage Month. 

Now commonly referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, the celebration has origins that date back more than 100 years. By 1990, President George H.W. Bush officially designated November as Native American Heritage Month. 

For CSUSM, the month holds special significance. 

The university has long-standing partnerships with local tribal communities and continues to lead the way in advocacy and educational equity efforts. CSUSM has the largest per capita number of American Indian students in the 23-campus CSU system, and is the only one to experience consistent growth. CSUSM was the first to establish a Native Advisory Council, the first to hire a full-time tribal liaison, the first to create a guaranteed admission pathway for American Indian students, and in 2009 established the first-of-its-kind California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC), which is focused on collaborative research and cultural preservation.  

In 2019, the CICSC and American Indian studies department, in partnership with Palomar College and the Southern California Tribal Chairman's Association, established a comprehensive Land Acknowledgement toolkit to encourage academic communities to recognize the original nations on whose land we live, learn and work. 

CSUSM invites the campus community to honor Native American Heritage Month through the following events. 

 

Tukwut Coloring Contest  

Nov. 1-30 

Pick up a coloring page at any of the student life centers in the USU. Coloring will take place from Nov. 1-15, with pages being dropped off at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center. From Nov. 16-30, people can vote for their favorites on the Instagram page of the American Indian Student Alliance. The winner, announced by Dec. 1, will receive a CSUSM pin that has been beaded by an AISA student.  

 

Community Beading Workshop 

Nov. 8, noon, USU Plaza 

Join us as we guide you through a beaded tutorial project step by step. 

 

Rock Your Mocs 

Nov. 13-19 

During Spirit Week, we’re offering a positive opportunity to be united and celebrate tribal individuality and diversity by wearing moccasins. 

 

Storytelling with Dr. Stan Rodriguez, American Indian Studies Lecturer

Nov. 15, 6 p.m., Serenity Circle (outside of SBSB) 

Bring your lawn chair and blanket and enjoy traditional Kumeyaay stories.

 

‘Blood Quantum’ Movie Night 

Nov. 18, 5 p.m., USU Ballroom 

We will be screening “Blood Quantum,” a 2019 Canadian film about a zombie uprising on a First Nations reserve whose residents are immune to contracting the plague because of their indigenous heritage. The movie was written and directed by the late Jeff Barnaby. Snacks will be provided. 

 

Native Dance Exhibition 

Nov. 29, noon, Kellogg Plaza 

Meet us outside Kellogg Library where hoop dancers are invited to perform during U-hour.  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306