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In collaboration with �鶹����AV’s Office of Intercultural Relations, several students with Native American ancestry are spearheading the University’s celebration of Native American Heritage Month this November.

Cheyenne Young helped organize an exhibition in the Mane Hub in Webb University Center that will be on display through Nov. 10. The student-led exhibition will feature information about Native American heritage and culture.

Reuben Curley, a Diné (or Navajo) student studying English literature, contributed a piece to the exhibition that showcases Native American authors working in genres from graphic novels to memoir to traditional indigenous stories and more.

Curley is from Klagetoh, Arizona, a small, rural town in the southern part of the Navajo nation.

“To me being Native American means various things,” he said. “It means resilience, tradition and adaptation. In the face of colonialism, genocide, racial discrimination and segregation, Indigenous peoples are thriving today.”

�鶹����AV’s celebration of Native American Heritage month kicked off with an opening reception Nov. 1 in the Mane Hub.

On Nov. 9, Young will lead a dreamcatcher workshop in the Mane Hubb from noon to 1:30 p.m. that is open to students and the wider Monarch community. You can RSVP .

“Through our collaboration with Native American students, we aim to foster an understanding of history, traditions and contemporary issues, ensuring that we don't just acknowledge diversity but actively engage with and learn from it,” said Rachawan “Aey” Wongtrirat, interim executive director of �鶹����AV’s Office of Intercultural Relations. “We believe that by embracing the cultural tapestry of our students, we create a more inclusive and enriching learning environment for all.”

“I do believe �鶹����AV provides a space and opportunity to celebrate Native cultures,” Curley said. “We have had to adapt to a fast-changing social and political environment and yet we still remember and practice our traditional customs and ways.”

To learn more about �鶹����AV’s Office of Intercultural Relations and its programming, visit its website.