
(Artwork by Chanti Mañon)
In 2015, Corvallis and Portland became the first two Oregon cities to proclaim Indigenous Peoples Day. This year, Oregon State University has expanded its celebration to a full week of events, which includes programming on both the Corvallis and Bend campuses.
The events, which run Oct. 12 - 17, highlight the complexity of Indigenous experiences at Oregon State, in the state of Oregon and throughout the Americas, and focus on decolonizing the story of Indigenous peoples by highlighting the resilience, creativity and innovation of Indigenous communities.
“It’s important to elevate the voices of Indigenous people as a university given OSU’s history and responsibilities as a land grant institution,” said Luhui Whitebear, coordinator of Indigenous Studies at Oregon State. “As a research institution, uplifting these stories helps center the critical role Indigenous people and Tribal nations have in moving towards more sustainable and inclusive futures.”
From 1-6 p.m., Oct. 12, a First Peoples Celebration with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs will be held at OSU-Cascades. It will include Native artist demonstrations, an open ceremony and invocations, a round dance with the Black Lodge Singers and a dinner featuring Indigenous foods starting at 6 p.m. ($25 per person).
Monday, Oct. 14 is officially Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It kicks off on the Corvallis campus with a College of Forestry reception at 9 a.m., in the Peavy Forest Science Center Atrium. The celebration continues starting at 1 p.m., at PRAx, starting with a panel discussion, followed by an Indigenous Peoples’ Day proclamation signing at 2 p.m. with Corvallis Mayor Charles Maughan. Then at 6 p.m., there will be a live performance at PRAx with Native Rose, a performance group featuring Oregon State’s Jan Michael Looking Wolf, which will also include opening dances from the Pacific Islander Association.
A reception for the traveling exhibit “Oregon is Indian Country” will take place at 10 a.m., Oct. 15 in the Valley Library’s Autzen Classroom, where the exhibit is currently on display.
At 5 p.m., Oct. 16, a film screening of “Life Over Lithium” takes place in the Memorial Union Ballroom. The short film focuses on lithium mining on sacred Indigenous land.
Finally, an OSU Indigenous Community Welcome will be held at 5 p.m., Oct. 17, at kaku-ixt mana ina haws, a cultural resource center on Oregon State’s Corvallis campus focusing on the experiences of Indigenous students.
All events are open to the community.
~ Theresa Hogue