2008 Woodie Awards
Native American culture highlight of conference
Bradley Hadley
Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: Campus News
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"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees," said Qwatsinas (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody) of the Nuxalk Nation.
February 27 sparked the annual Native American Day for the 7th annual UTM Civil Rights Conference.
The night began with the sweet and peaceful sound of J. J. Kent's flute.
Kent is a Native American speaker and flutist of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Kent is such a renowned flutist that many Native American people came from around the state to hear his work.
He played songs about many of his peoples' traditions including the "Holy Dog" also known today as the horse. Kent's music has become an important part of many people's spiritual journeys.
"The most enjoyable part of the night was the intro, J.J. Kent's flute playing," said Charles Mitchell, a Chemistry major from Memphis.
"I think the students are going to leave here with a better understanding. I was watching the audience and everyone was very attentive," said Kent.
Kent set the stage for a group of singers known as the Tanasi Thunder Singers. The singers are a traditional traveling Drum and Dance group, which performs traditional Pow Wows all over the country.
"These are very important issues for Native Americans here in Martin; Brent Cox made it possible, where there is not a lot of avenues for this," said Evangeline Lynch of the Choctaw Nation. She is also the chair of the Tennessee Commission for Indian Affairs.
Lynch was one of two award recipients during the night. These were appreciation awards for all the hard work during the Native American Civil Rights Movement.
The other award was handed to Tom Kunesh, a Hunkpapa Lakota. Kunesh, also one of the seven commissioners of Indian Affairs, spoke to the three local schools and numerous students from UTM. Kunesh placed stacks of printing paper along the floor of Watkins Auditorium stage. The paper represented the ancient unidentified burial mounds from Native American nations in the amount of 11,151 out of 118,400 that is 9.4% of the total inventory in the USA's Culturally Unidentifiable Native American Inventories Database.
"We have a duty to protect our sites and mounds and a duty to protect mother Earth it's as sacred as anything," said William Anderson of the Tennessee Ancient Site Conservation in Nashville.
Overall the night was a success according to Brent Cox, a professor of history here at UTM.
"Yes I was very pleased over the turnout; I was happy with the number [of people who attended]," said Cox.
February 27 sparked the annual Native American Day for the 7th annual UTM Civil Rights Conference.
The night began with the sweet and peaceful sound of J. J. Kent's flute.
Kent is a Native American speaker and flutist of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Kent is such a renowned flutist that many Native American people came from around the state to hear his work.
He played songs about many of his peoples' traditions including the "Holy Dog" also known today as the horse. Kent's music has become an important part of many people's spiritual journeys.
"The most enjoyable part of the night was the intro, J.J. Kent's flute playing," said Charles Mitchell, a Chemistry major from Memphis.
"I think the students are going to leave here with a better understanding. I was watching the audience and everyone was very attentive," said Kent.
Kent set the stage for a group of singers known as the Tanasi Thunder Singers. The singers are a traditional traveling Drum and Dance group, which performs traditional Pow Wows all over the country.
"These are very important issues for Native Americans here in Martin; Brent Cox made it possible, where there is not a lot of avenues for this," said Evangeline Lynch of the Choctaw Nation. She is also the chair of the Tennessee Commission for Indian Affairs.
Lynch was one of two award recipients during the night. These were appreciation awards for all the hard work during the Native American Civil Rights Movement.
The other award was handed to Tom Kunesh, a Hunkpapa Lakota. Kunesh, also one of the seven commissioners of Indian Affairs, spoke to the three local schools and numerous students from UTM. Kunesh placed stacks of printing paper along the floor of Watkins Auditorium stage. The paper represented the ancient unidentified burial mounds from Native American nations in the amount of 11,151 out of 118,400 that is 9.4% of the total inventory in the USA's Culturally Unidentifiable Native American Inventories Database.
"We have a duty to protect our sites and mounds and a duty to protect mother Earth it's as sacred as anything," said William Anderson of the Tennessee Ancient Site Conservation in Nashville.
Overall the night was a success according to Brent Cox, a professor of history here at UTM.
"Yes I was very pleased over the turnout; I was happy with the number [of people who attended]," said Cox.
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