By  Sadie Shields

As the sun rose high in the sky and the wind carried a gentle breeze, students, staff, family and Humboldt locals gathered in the West Gym to celebrate Indigenous culture. 

California Big Time, organized by the Indian Tribal and Educational Personnel Program (ITEPP), gave students, alumni and family members a space to perform traditional dances and songs to form community connections.

Lead singer Tim Snow of the Xa Batin Feather Dancers from Lake County, Calif., and member of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake California, shared the cultural importance of the dances.

“We call them feather dances – shakehead dances – and they date back 100 years,” Snow said. “They all have different meanings, for the plants, for the wind, rain, earth; it’s an important thing for us to be able to carry this on.” 

The event itself was designed to support Indigenous students and act as an Indigenous campus preview, as well as an opportunity for students to relax and recuperate for the rest of the semester.

This sense of renewal reflects a change that occurred with the creation of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 that allows indigenous tribes the right to believe, express and exercise their traditional religions. The act aimed to end government suppression of ceremonies, protect access to sacred sites and allow the use of sacred objects.  

Coordinator of ITEPP, Sasheen Raymond, explains how indigenous communities were unable to practice their beliefs before this act was instated. 

“For a long time, there was a loss in culture due to laws and policies from the U.S. Government… The American Indian Religious Freedom Act changed a lot of the policies where previously people weren’t able to participate in their ceremonies… it’s really phenomenal that we are able to revive this next group and continue for many generations to come,” Raymond said. 

The gathering has also changed and evolved over time; what was once a more powwow style gathering changed to become Big Time through student ideas.

Former ITEPP Coordinator and current special assistant to the President for Tribal Relations and Community Engagement Adrienne Colgrove-Raymond recalls how the idea came about.

“It doesn’t have to be a powwow, it could be something different… a Big Time, which focuses on California Indian culture and dances.” Colgrove-Raymond said.

California Big Time stands as a source not only for community, but also to provide a sense of balance for Indigenous students in their life and culture. 

“Your cultural balance is the most important thing in your life; understanding where you come from and the places that you’re from,” Colgrove-Raymond said. “And so, I think that’s what those dances are about.” 

Sadie is a junior communications major, journalism minor at Cal Poly Humboldt who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and wildlife journalism, and a slight interest in breaking news. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.