By Chris Goodmacher
Daily Bruin Contributor
Several student groups gathered in Westwood Plaza at noon Monday
in an hour-long celebration of Indigenous People’s Day
““ a day normally celebrated by others as Columbus Day.
Ever since the establishment of Columbus Day in the 1930s, the
day has been recognized among indigenous communities as Indigenous
People’s Day, said Alex Red Eagle, president of the American
Indian Student’s Association.
“People are taught: in 1492, Columbus came to America, but
they’re not taught the other perspective ““ the
indigenous people’s point of view,” said Red Eagle, a
fourth-year biochemistry and neuroscience student.
The event was coordinated by the American Indian Student’s
Association, MEChA and the Pacific Islands Students
Association.
COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin Students gather in a circle at
Westwood Plaza on Monday in recognition of Indigenous
People’s Day. The gathering included food, speeches, prayer
and dance “to raise awareness on the situations and
conditions affecting indigenous communities throughout the
world,” said fourth-year history and Chicano studies student
Elizabeth Serna, chair of MEChA.
Focusing on no particular group but instead on all indigenous
people who organizers said have been oppressed by colonization
““ from the people of Mexico to Native Americans ““ the
festival began with speeches from students, followed by one from
Phil Hale, a Native American and former UCLA student.
Though the event was not in favor of United States’
colonization of America, Hale said “even though we fought
against that (American) flag, now we fight with it,” making
reference to the recently launched attack on Afghanistan.
Hale’s father Henry then said a prayer for UCLA students
and indigenous peoples in his native Navajo language. The Hales
beat a drum and sang their flag song, an equivalent to a national
anthem.
Members of the organizing groups sold carne asada tacos and fire
bread, while some students sat down to reflect.
“They’re trying to let people know who they are, and
they are not forgotten,” said Shwetha Sridharan, a first-year
business economics student.
As the festival continued, Tenochtitlan, a group that performs
the dances of Mexican indigenous, took the stage, attracting a
crowd of nearly 100 toward the end of the performance. The dancers
invited members of the audience to come to the front and dance in a
circle.
“We wanted to show that we’re not people far away,
we’re close to them, so close that we’re doing the same
dance,” said Sergio Ruiz, a member of Tenochtitlan.