SJSU Native American Indigenous Student Success Center Welcomes the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley to Host the American Indigenous Heritage Celebration

The Native American Indigenous Student Success Center and the Gathering of Academic Indigenous and Native Americans (GAIN) are proud to welcome the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley for the American Indian Heritage Celebration on Nov. 9 and 10. Photo by Buggsy Malone.

San José State’s Native American Indigenous Student Success Center and the Gathering of Academic and Indigenous Native Americans (GAIN) will welcome the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley for a special two-day American Indian Heritage Celebration on campus November 9 and 10. The event is timed to coincide with Native American Indigenous Heritage Month and precede Veterans Day, in part to honor Native American and Indigenous people who have served in the armed forces. 

The events are free and open to the public, and include invited guests Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, and Spiritual Leader of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Oyate, known as the Great Sioux Nation, and 1964 Olympian Billy Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux). Participants can enjoy a pow wow celebration on Sunday, Nov. 10, complete with Native dances, songs and vendors selling art and food.

“The American Indian Heritage Celebration is an annual event that celebrates and showcases the rich heritage and culture of American Indians and Alaskan Natives,” says Vernon Medicine Cloud, inter-tribal resource director of the Indian Health Center (IHC) of Santa Clara County. “This event is filled with dance, song, drumming, honorings, arts and crafts, food, a kid’s fun zone and much more for anybody who attends. This event is educational in nature and brings understanding to those who have questions about different types of regalia or music.”

The events will also help connect Spartans to a broader network of American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Indigenous communities across the South Bay.

“A lot of our students have been wanting to see more representation of Native and Indigenous people and communities on our campus,” says Elisa Aquino, director of San José State’s Native American Indigenous Student Success Center (NAISSC). “This has been a really great bridge between SJSU and the work that the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley has been leading for many years to serve Native people in our community.”

The American Indian Heritage Celebration offers two days of programming.

The two-day celebration offers opportunities for Spartans and members of the public to connect with local tribal communities and learn more about the rich cultural history of Native Americans and Indians in the Bay Area — as well as to witness their robust presence today.

“One misconception that I’ve heard, and our students have shared with us is that oftentimes when others refer to Native people, they refer to them in the past tense,” Aquino adds. “When this happens, it creates negative implications on Native people and students who hear this, because they are very much alive. Indigenous people and cultures exist today, and we have really rich cultural traditions that we’re still keeping alive.”

Spartans interested in learning more and getting involved with Native American and Indigenous traditions and cultures can stop by the NAISSC’s new home in the renovated Spartan chapel. Aquino hopes that current and future Native and Indigenous Spartans feel empowered to approach higher education as their complete selves.

“There’s still a lot that has to be done to make sure that we can embrace the cultural gifts that Native students have and embed them into the education system,” she says. “As a student myself, it almost felt like I had to detach my indigeneity to be able to be in a classroom. Almost every student I work with asks how they can give back to their communities? How can I ensure that their Native communities are being nurtured and supported in the future? One gift that our community has is always thinking of the larger scope of Indigenous people worldwide.”

Medicine Cloud adds that San José State and the IHC “have been great working partners for over many years,” sharing that “San José State has always had a great number of students who identify as American Indian on campus. The school is very accommodating to American Indian students and community members. It really is a great school.”

Learn more about the Native American Indigenous Student Success Center at SJSU.