By DACODA MCDOWELL-WAHPEKECHE, Student Reporter
I am an enrolled citizen of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma and was raised traditionally with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Within the first ten days of being born, I was given the Indian name of Piwaneskaka, which translates to fine feathers of a prairie chicken.
November was designated as Native American Heritage Month. Not many people know about it because of the lack of Native Americans in this country compared to other ethnicities.
Growing up in Little Axe, it was a great mixture of all backgrounds. I was raised around Native Americans traditions like stomp dancing, war dance and bread dance, traditions where I fast and celebrate our creator.
Throughout all those times of dancing and honoring our elders in the tribe, I got to listen to many stories about how the elders were raised and were taught the traditions that they teach us now.
Little Axe was founded through Absentee Shawnee history. The Absentee Shawnee flag was actually created by a Little Axe resident, detailed with “Li Si Wi Nwi,” which means “Among the Shawnee.”
When I was coming to Northwestern on a visit for Cross Country, I was told that the town was too redneck. Instantly, as a recruit, I felt at home.
The first few weeks of the fall semester of 2019 was tough on me because I thought I was not good enough. I was no longer among the Shawnee.
I finally felt comfortable enough here to find people who would want to create Northwestern’s first Native American Student Association.
Listening to the stories of other Native Americans on this campus was good and felt like home, but it was not enough. I finally got satisfaction whenever
I started listening to more than just Native stories.
I got to hear stories about how one of my closest friends here at Northwestern was probably violating child labor laws at the age of 7. It was also interesting to hear another Northwestern student ask if we still live in teepees.
For your information, we do not. Now, there are practices in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe that do involve teepees.
I was not upset or offended whenever she asked, it just saddened me because it proves there are people who don’t know Native Americans.
I informed the individual of how we work now, but it is actually a great example to learn from.
At Northwestern we have students who come from overseas who have great stories, but do not forget that the United States was the melting pot of other countries’ people moving and settling here.
There are so many stories to hear from. We have people from California, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan and many other states on our campus. We don’t need to settle to our little friend groups and just get to know them.
Meeting new people enriches the college experience. I know that many of my closest friends here knew absolutely nothing about my town or my tribe before they met me. That is okay.
I started to follow two Northwestern students to further my growth; I realized that serving people and hearing their stories makes this university special.
When I stopped looking for things that separate myself from my classmates and looked for things that I had in common, then I felt as if I grew into a more complete student who wanted to hear other peoples’ stories.
The tribes within this country are all different. Some may have characteristics and practices that are equivalent to each other, but they are different.
Little Axe is comprised of citizens of various tribes like Cherokee, Absentee Shawnee, Comanche, and many more. They don’t look and strike each other down for their differences but find them interesting. In this social climate we live in today, I hope we realize we don’t need to tear each other down because of our political stances or ideologies.
Instead, help build a kinder society by looking to friends or strangers and ask how they are doing. We have plenty of stories just on the Alva campus that need to be told. Regardless of where they are from, there are stories that make who we are today.
To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, get to know Native Americans on Northwestern’s campus but learn from it and get to know others more deeply like Native Americans do with each other in different tribes; Niyaawe.