Week 6 Makeup

Something good going on in the Native community is positive Native representation in areas typically dominated by whiteness. Dahkota becoming the first Native tree is awesome, especially given Stanford’s history of having an ignorant “Indian” mascot through 1970 that was a mockery of Native culture. Since it’s such a public figure too, having someone bring unapologetic indigenous identity to the tree is really exciting.

I’m also so happy for Loralee, who was just accepted to an MFA at the Institute of American Indian Arts, the only 4-year degree fine arts institution in the nation devoted to contemporary Native American and Alaskan arts. I could not imagine a better way to explore identity through writing, and I look forward to hearing about what she’ll continue to accomplish there! :)