'Heritage is important': UNC celebrates Native American Heritage Month

Miranda Freeman, president of Alpha Pi Omega sorority for Native American women, said November is an important month for her.

“November, for me, is a time that I can really show people, ‘Hey we’re still alive, we’re an active culture, we still have struggles going on,’” Freeman said.

November is National Native American Heritage Month.

Amy Locklear Hertel, director of the American Indian Center, said November is a month to educate non-Native Americans on issues facing Native Americans.

“It’s not only a month where the American Indians celebrate our culture in a very public way and our history and our present day experiences,” Hertel said, “but it’s also a way that we can help to educate and expose non-American Indians to present-day issues of the American Indian people or the contribution of American Indian people to maintaining society.”

Hertel said due to an agreement with Chancellor Carol Folt, UNC will celebrate Native American Heritage Month every November.

“In October 2014, the Chancellor signed a resolution with all North Carolina tribes where she resolved not only to bring all eight tribes to campus every year, to hear from them about their needs, but she also resolved to recognize November every year as Native American Heritage Month,” Hertel said.

The American Indian Center created a calendar of events for students to check out this month. Hertel said most of the events are hosted by student organizations.

In addition to events on campus, Hertel said the center is reaching out to nearby communities this month.

According to Office of Undergraduate Admissions class profiles, two percent of incoming first-year students for the past four years have been Native Americans.

Noelle Romero, member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science at UNC, said despite the small number of Native American students, there is a big on-campus community.

“I think UNC has a very strong Native American presence on campus with the American Indian Center, the First Nations Graduate Circle and the Carolina Indian Circle,” she said.

Romero said she hopes non-Native American students will take advantage of events such as tours that promote the history of Native Americans in the state.

Freeman said she almost wanted to go home when she first came to UNC, but finding people who share her heritage helped her realize she belongs.

“When I first came to Carolina, I felt really lost; I wasn’t sure what my place was,” she said. “I found the Carolina Indian Circle, the women of Alpha Pi Omega, I started going to the American Indian Center and talking to the women who were there, and they taught me that my heritage is important, and I can teach people and inform people on campus about my heritage, and that’s my opportunity being here.”

Hertel said she was impressed by the number of non-Native American students coming out to events this month and learning.

“I’ve been really pleased that we have so many non-Native people at our events this month,” Hertel said. “And I’m really happy to see the interest across campus.”

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