by Barley Lewis-McCabe and Nico Patakidis
The air was filled with copal tree sap smoke — a dense earthy smell that, combined with rhythmic we-we drumming and consistent rattling of ayoyote anklets, produced an unmistakable feeling of camaraderie and warmth on an otherwise chilly morning.
Monday, Oct. 13, saw the kickoff of Indigenous Peoples week with an event hosted by the Indian Tribal & Educational Personnel Program (ITEPP). This featured dances in the Upper Quad from a number of indigenous cultures primarily from regions south of the United States border, according to Lonyx Landry, Native Programs Coordinator and drum leader.
“In a very authentic and grassroots way, how it came together, it is part of the manifestation of the prophecy of the eagle and the condor,” Landry said. “Today was absolutely a manifestation of that coming to fruition. And that is the peoples of the Americas coming back together.”
The Prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor is the belief that the barriers of hate that separates the people of the Americas will be eliminated, and North and South America, or the Eagle and the Condor, respectively, will fly together once again. The name comes from the similarities in shape between the continents and the birds they represent.
Isabelle “Bug” Carvajal, led a land acknowledgement at the start of the event, followed by a speech addressing the significance of Indigenous People’s day. She acknowledged the need for sovereignty of indigenous nations in society and also on the university campus, as well as recognizing the importance of the Land Back movement.
“We stand by the word of local native communities,” Carvajal said. “Especially the women and elders that created ITEPP and the students who occupied the Native Forum in 2015, and remain steadfast in their call for more self-determination, sovereignty and dignity for indigenous people of this land.”
Carvajal says that ITEPP seeks to prevent reducing concepts such as decolonization and “land back” into buzzwords. ITEPP wishes to see more action from the university in the form of funding cultural centers, recognizing sovereign indigenous knowledge within STEM programs and being less performative in their statements.
The ceremonies opened with a song of honor, which served to open the experience and set the tone for what was to come. Then the drummers performed the Gourd Song, followed not long after by the Four Winds dance. Audience members were invited to follow in the dance, turning themselves to face in the same directions as the dancers. The Four Winds dance then led into the opening Permiso dance, a dance performed to open up the space that would be used in the beginning of a ceremony.
During the dances, performers fanned copal smoke into the air high and low, spreading the scent throughout the quad. The performance ended with a dance dedicated to Mother Earth, called Tonantzin.
The ceremony ended as it began, with a heartfelt speech from MC Raith Williams.
“Let us carry these truths forward, not as burdens, but as responsibilities,” Williams said. “Responsibilities to honor the land, to support one another, and to ensure that the future generations know who we are and where we come from, because we’re still here.”
Barley is the photo editor and an untraditional reporter who focuses on social change and stories with a real human impact. If you’d like to reach him for whatever reason email bl258@humboldt.edu.
Nico is a sophomore journalism major with an interest in covering local government and political affairs. In his free time he enjoys hanging out and having fun. Reach him at np211@humboldt.edu.
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