UC San Diego Honors Native American History Month

The University of California San Diego celebrated its 18th Native American Heritage Month on November 13 at the Price Center with a kickoff event to honor the achievements and contributions of Native American people and tribes. 

Guests enjoyed a traditional Native American meal of bison, three sisters stew, yucca chips, grasshopper salsa, cornbread, avocado pudding and piñon cookies. UC San Diego Assistant Professor Heather Ponchetti Daly (Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel) worked closely with Housing Dining Hospitality on the Indigenous menu. 

The celebration began with a performance by the Kumeyaay Bird Singers featuring Blue Eagle Vigil and Jamie LaBrake followed by remarks from Intertribal Resource Center (ITRC) Facilities, Operations and Student Programs Coordinator Michaela Allen Sanchez (Lipan Apache and Mexican-American) and UC San Diego Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons. 

UC San Diego’s Native American Culture Bearer-in-Residence Ethan Banegas (descendant of the Kumeyaay, Luiseño/Payómkawichum and Cupeño/Kuupangaxwichem Bands) recited a prayer of hope, noting, “It is where you stare that makes all the difference. But before we go, let’s be good stewards of this land and only take what we need.” The UC San Diego community greatly respects the land and the Kumeyaay people of the area where our campus is located. We acknowledge their tremendous contributions to our region and thank them for their stewardship.

Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Becky R. Petitt spoke about the university’s commitment to Native American students through programs like Kinship Mentors and the School of Medicine’s Program in Medical Education - Transforming Indigenous Doctor Education program, led by Matthew Allison (Chickasaw). 

The keynote speaker, Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy (Hupa, Karuk and Yurok), discussed her work as the chair of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Native American Studies department and co-director of the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute. 

A vocal advocate for Indigenous feminisms, California Indians, environmental justice and decolonization, Risling Baldy reflected on returning to Native American roots and building a better future. “There is a world outside of this box and Native American studies reminds us that the box isn’t very strong,” she said. “The box meant for us to push against it and push apart. When you’re in it, you think the box is forever. But our vision of the future is always seven generations.”

Following the keynote, ITRC Director Tim Topper (Cheyenne River Sioux), Assistant Director Corrine Hensley-Dellefield (Catawba) and Allen Sanchez recognized the ITRC Roots of Community Award honoree Hawksiga Funmaker through a traditional blanketing ceremony. A third-year business economics major and environmental studies minor, Funmaker is an enrolled member of the Ho-chunk Nation and a Kinship Mentor. 

The event concluded with performances from the Soaring Eagles Powwow Dancers and the Green River Singers.