Native American Heritage Month

Gioia Sacco

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This November, Lynn University has taken into consideration its Native American students by representing Native American Heritage for the entire month.

This month is to demonstrate and thank the Natives for being a part of the growing prospect of the American culture.

There may be some aspects of the Native American culture that the university is trying to touch upon that have placed Native Americans in a negative light.

“I think that we’re doing something good by bringing awareness to the events that are going to be with the sports teams, and how the professional teams bring bad reps to Native Americans with the Washington Red Skins,” said Christina Diabo, junior. “We will also be having a presentation this month.”

With a small population of Native Americans on the Lynn University campus, Christina Diabo was one of the few who responded to the email Don Lawrence, Dean of Students and the Director of Multiculturalism, sent out. Diabo is a dual resident of the United States and Canada, where her reservation is located just outside of Montreal. She is 100% American Indian, belonging to the Mohawk Tribe.

“At a school that’s so diverse, it’s nice that Native American cultures are finally being recognized; because there are a lot of ways that we aren’t being recognized and a lot of thing’s are being overlooked,” said Diabo. “ Native Americans are here, we’re still here, we’re not just wiped away; and there’s more to us than just head dresses and feathers.”

Don Lawrence is fairly new to the Lynn faculty, but is on a mission is bring together the many cultures spread throughout campus.

“Even if we have one student who has Native American heritage in their blood we want to find a way to celebrate who they are. Even if we have no students, we still want to teach our student body that this people group is central and critical to our society, and that their contributions are important to everything that we represent in this country,” said Lawrence.

Some of the many events that will be transpiring throughout campus for the month of November will be transforming the food in the Dining Commons for the day of Nov. 18, and holding a panel presentation and discussion on Nov. 17. This presentation will touch up the stereotype