As a precursor to Native American Heritage Month in November, Colorado State University’ Native American Cultural Center begins the first of many festivities with Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, Oct. 11. Events include a midday community mixer with music and food as well as an evening virtual keynote with an award-winning artist Native American artist.
On the Lory Student Center Plaza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,NACC students and staff will be on hand to engage with the CSU community and handing out snacks and other treats. Even though it will be outside, COVID safety protocols will be maintained and social distancing applied.
Oct. 11 is also National Coming Out Day, which celebrates LGBTQ+ resilience and bravery. The Pride Resource Center will co-table on the LSC Plaza with NACC during this time to engage with people. KCSU will also be present to DJ the event and will feature artists from both the Native American community and have LGBTQ+ representation.
Tanaya Winder, singer/songwriter and author
Later that evening, singer/songwriter and author Tanaya Winder will give the NACC’s virtual keynote at 5:30 p.m. MT. This event is free to the public and does not require pre-registration. For more information and to attend the Zoom event, visit the NACC’s social media pages on Instagram and Facebook.
“We learned from the pandemic that accessibility is a must, and safety is a priority,” said NACC Assistant Director Tiffani Kelly. “By having this event virtually we can do both.”
Winder, from the Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, is also a citizen of the Duckwater Shoshone Nation. She is also a co-founder of As/Us: A Space for Writers of the World, a literary journal that showcases the creative literary expressions of both emerging and established writers of color from around the world. In 2016, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development named her to the “40 Under 40” list of emerging American Indian leaders.
“Indigenous Peoples Day is about celebrating and centering Indigenous communities and voices, something NACC does every day of the year,” Kelly said. “We are excited for Monday to be able to safely program in a few different ways to engage the campus community.”
