See a schedule of Native American Month events at the bottom of this page
Konkow, Mechoopda and Modoc are common names at Chico State, yet the Native American presence on campus is small and often overlooked, despite a rich, intriguing and tragic history.
Many don't understand how diverse Native Americans are within their own populations, said American Indian Club President Annette DeBrotherton, a Choctaw and a Chico State grad student.
"When people think of white, ethnicities such as Italian, Dutch, German and Polish are only a few that fall under the category," DeBrotherton said. "But all those nationalities have very unique cultures, in the same way different Native American tribes do."
It is important to create a shared identity among all Native Americans, which doesn't overwhelm the identities of individual tribes, she said.
"It's an ongoing thing," DeBrotherton said. "We celebrate local events and work to make people aware of the differences between tribes, and at the same time, celebrating those differences unites us as Native Americans."
There will be Native American dancers and singers in the Free Speech Area today, according to the American Indian Club.
The Native American student population is practically invisible, not because they're not here, but because they have become so racially diverse, DeBrotherton said.
DeBrotherton attributes the formation of cross-cultural families to the extreme population decrease that resulted from the arrival of the English settlers, she said.
"We tended to marry into other races out of necessity," DeBrotherton said. "There were losses of up to 90 percent in some tribes after the arrival of Europeans."
Because of discrimination and perhaps having families that have suffered, not all Native Americans identify with their ancestry, she said.
At Chico State, there are about 120 self-identified Native Americans, DeBrotherton said.
Senior Nikia Huitt is a member of the American Indian Club and has heritage from the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin tribes, she said.
November is Native American Heritage Month, Huitt said. It is a great time to learn about Native American tribes in the Chico area.
"I hope that this Native American month will open some doors for people to learn and ask questions," Huitt said. "This month helps to show people that we do exist, and we are willing to share our culture."
Pam Ames, a part-time faculty member at the university, is half Cherokee.
The Native American side of her family didn't recognize that part of their heritage, Ames said.
"My mom would say we are not Indian, we're American," Ames said.
Ames was drawn to her Native American culture and had to break away from the family to learn about it, she said.
"My family really tried to just blend in." Ames said. "But over time I learned that we were actually very traditionally Native American. They were just in denial."
Joel Hersch can be reached at jhersch@theorion.com
Schedule
Today Native dancers and singers Free Speech Area noon to 2 p.m.Thursday Games workshop Cross Cultural Leadership Center 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 Historical walking tour Bidwell Mansion noon
Nov. 13 Anthropology forum on native culture Ayres Hall Room 120 4 p.m. Grasshopper Basket's Workshop CCLC 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 14 Tree of Peace 20 year commemoration and gathering potluck, Peace Tree (in front of Trinity Hall) 5 p.m.
Nov. 18 "The Original Patriots"(documentary film) Holt Hall Room 170 6 p.m.
Nov. 20 Hand game, sticks and song workshop CCLC 6 p.m.
Art show featured in Kendall Hall throughout November
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