This week, the Alexandria Campus Student Life Office celebrated Native American Heritage Month with a virtual workshop on Native American storytelling and dance featuring Larry Yazzie, a proud member of the Meskwaki nation.
“There are over 500 federally recognized tribes in the United States today. 574, to be exact. So, I am a member of one of these 574 tribes. I come from the Meskwaki nation in central Iowa. Our language is still intact. Our fires are still burning in our sacred lodges back home in our communities,” Yazzie said.
A leading expert on Native American dance, Yazzie has been dancing since age seven. He is a two-time world-champion Fancy Dancer as well as an Eagle and Northern Style Traditional dancer. Each dance style is unique and tells a specific story through movement and music.
Yazzie is an international lecturer and educator, sharing his culture through his presentations and dance for the past two decades, including in Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, Central America, Russia, France, Germany, Switzerland and Croatia. “So, you can see there’s a lot of interest in Native American culture,” he said.
He stresses the importance of continuing to share and inspire people through his heritage. “I want to inspire people who have no idea about the Native American culture. It’s such a pleasure to share. You hear many schools, especially across America, that only teach maybe a chapter or two about Native American history. So, it gives me an opportunity to get more in depth and give the real story.”
While in middle and high school, Yazzie said he experienced racism. “So, I felt there was a need for me to go into schools to present my culture and let the world know that we are still alive. We’re well. Our language is still burning; our fires are still burning.”
“It’s very important to keep that spirit going, keep that spirit burning because we want our younger generation to be proud of who we are as indigenous people,” he said. “This is something I feel is very important to share with all people from all over the world and from all walks of life.”
“We still hold our sacred ceremonies, and those ceremonies are never recorded and never photographed because that’s who we are; that’s what we believe in; that’s how we pray.” But each August, the Meskwaki nation holds its annual powwow that is open to the public. “We want to show the outside world we still maintain our way of life as indigenous people.”
During the Zoom, Yazzie had his red cedar flute and his drum, made with an Elk hide stretched over a wooden frame. He was dressed from head to toe in his colorful and impressive Native American, hand-beaded regalia. He explained why Native Americans have eagle feathers sewn into their regalia. “We believe the eagle flies the highest of all birds and carries our prayers to the Creator. We believe the eagle will deliver our message to the Creator. So, we honor the eagle with our feathers.”
He performed several songs that included the drum beat representing Mother Earth's heartbeat. The fluid tone of the red cedar flute exuded relaxation with each note. And attendees were mesmerized as he danced dressed in his beautiful cultural regalia.
Referring to stressful current events, Yazzie said, “I strongly believe, if we all pray together, we can create harmony. We can create medicine, good medicine amongst all people, amongst all races. No matter where we come from, no matter where our roots come from, we are tied somewhere to this Mother Earth.”
NOVA’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is committed to advancing inclusive excellence for improving the well-being and success of all NOVA students, faculty, staff and community members. The office works to raise awareness of divergent ideas, values, beliefs, abilities and perspectives while also advancing equity within the College’s Mission and Strategic Plan to help create and sustain a more inclusive and accepting college community.
DEI Resources: DEI Resources - Northern Virginia Community College (nvcc.edu)
NOVA’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is committed to advancing inclusive excellence for improving the well-being and success of all NOVA students, faculty, staff and community members. The office works to raise awareness of divergent ideas, values, beliefs, abilities and perspectives while also advancing equity within the College’s Mission and Strategic Plan to help create and sustain a more inclusive and accepting college community.