SU’s Native Students spread Columbus Day message

Syracuse University does not celebrate Columbus Day and classes are not canceled. The Native students on campus used this day to educate the campus community about colonialism. A portion of the quad was partitioned off with specially designed “caution” tape. The tape design was created by Neal Powless, Native Student Academic Coordinator, and included images of the Hiawatha Belt in purple, the universally recognized logo for the Haudenosaunee. Anyone passing through the quad between classes was given a visitor’s pass by Native students, faculty and staff wearing purple Columbus Day 2008 t-shirts with the following message on the back:

“We have no reason to celebrate an invasion that caused the demise of so many of our people and is still causing destruction today.” –Suzan Shown Harjo, Cheyenne and Creek

“Visitors” were welcomed to Haudenosaunee territory by the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora Nations. Passes included information about the affects of colonization on indigenous peoples. Close to 1,000 visitor passes were distributed.

The event was a collaborative effort including the Office of Multicultural Affairs Native Student Program and the following recognized Syracuse University student organizations: Native American Students at Syracuse (NASAS), American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Indigenous Law Students Association, and L.U.C.H.A. (a Latino student organization on campus). Lance Isaacs and Shannon Booth of the Onondaga Nation sang a few social dance songs, giving participants an opportunity to experience Haudenosaunee culture, as well as giving Native students on campus a much needed chance to put their moccasins on.