Students pay homage to indigenous cultures

A variety of indigenous cultures of North America are being honored this month at Mt. Hood Community College, including several events this week in the College Center and a major American Indian celebration scheduled for Nov. 12.
Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that MEChA, formerly known as the Latino Club, chose to celebrate in the College Center Tuesday and Wednesday.
At the event, MEChA sold sugar skulls made by club members and gave away smaller skulls. Janat Quiroz, co-chair of MEChA, said sugar skulls were originally used as decorated trophies for games played by ancient members of the Aztec tribe.
November is also American Indian Heritage Month and on Wednesday, a group of Aztec dancers, who hold classes every other Tuesday with the MHCC Native American club, held a ritual dancing ceremony to honor their Mexican ancestors.
Chako-Kum Tux, the MHCC Native American club, will also honor American Indian Heritage Month by hosting its eighth annual Kanawaksooma Pow Wow Nov. 12.
The pow wow grand entry is at noon and begins with bringing in the colors and entrance of all the dancers. The event will offer an opportunity to observe traditional dancing, drumming and singing as well as an opportunity to be included in arts, crafts, and trying traditional foods. The event is scheduled to end at 10 p.m.
Club President Elisha Big Back said last year more than 1,000 people attended the event.
Big Back, of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, said Chako-Kum Tux doesn’t have a lot of active members of the club. She said about 15 members show up for club events.
Big Back said there are a lot of American Indians on campus but most don’t come forward to join the club because they don’t want to get involved in the drama that often presents itself in many American Indian gatherings.
She also said some people who don’t join feel like they’re culturally alone or don’t know about the club.
Big Back said the reason behind the annual Kanawaksooma Pow Wow is to “raise awareness of the American Indian community and to promote education of Native youth.”
Asked the meaning of the event name and club name, Big Back said, “Kanawaksooma is a Chinook tribal word meaning quiet thunder. Chako-Kum Tux is Chinook slang meaning becoming to understand.”
She said Robert Van Pelt, founder of the MHCC club and a Plains Indian, chose Chinook as the language because he wanted to keep the language local to Mt. Hood. The Chinook tribe is the original inhabitant tribe of the Columbia River banks throughout Oregon and Washington.
During November, which is American Indian Heritage Month, Big Back said Chako-Kum Tux has planned the pow wow, Thursday night culture classes and every other Tuesday they will hold Aztec dance classes in the Visual Arts building.
She said the biggest challenges that Natives face today are negative stereotypes and that many think tribal people are disappearing. She said she hopes these events will help people learn how to be respectful of American Indians and promote diversity of all types.
She also said she wants club members to be personal examples that Natives are not always drunk, lazy and ignorant the way a lot of people assume.
The pow wow is still accepting vendors, who are urged to contact club Vice President Celia Payer for more information at 503-960-1745. Student organizations and non-profit vendors can reserve space for free and all other vendors are subject to a $40 fee.