Michigan Tech has
been known for its
focus on cultural
awareness thanks in part to the
Center for Diversity and Inclusion.
Though unbeknownst to
some students and faculty, the organization
also deals extensively
with Native American customs
and rituals around our community.
Next week, the Rosza Center for
Performing Arts will host Kevin
Locke (or Tokeya Inajin, which
means in the Lakota language
as “The First to Arise”). Locke
is a traditional Native American
storyteller, educator, musician,
and Hoop Dancer among other
things.
Locke began learning about his
heritage at a very early age. His
mother, Patricia Locke; uncle,
Abraham End-of-Horn, and many
others are the key inspirations that
lead him through his life. As time
went by, his ambitions grew to experimenting
with music, teaching,
and storytelling.
Throughout his life, Locke has
led a crusade towards understanding
and acceptance of different
customs and traditions throughout
the world. His goal, as he puts
it, is to “raise awareness of the
Oneness we share as human beings.”
One of the key rituals used
to manifest those understandings
is through the traditional Hoop
Dancing. “It reflects the roles and
responsibilities that all human
beings have within the hoops, or
circles, of life,” says Locke.
Flute playing is also a major
pursuit within his life and has been
a long practiced tradition among
Native Americans. According to
scholar and flautist Edward Wapp,
flute playing is meant to evoke the
natural beauty of the environment
in which one lives. The Lakota, a
nation of which Locke belongs to,
is an excellent example of where
the flute is widely used.
The Lakota and Dakota nations
stem from the northern prairies of
what is known as Maka Wita or
“Earth Island”. The Lakota flute
is used to reflect the winds which
move through the meadowlands.
According to Lakota tradition,
there are seven notes that represent
four distinct ideas; direction,
the Earth, the heavens, and the
heart.
“It is so hard for people to relate
one to another because we
all come from different backgrounds,”
says Locke. “But no
matter where we come from, we
can all connect with music.”
Aside from the flute, Locke
also plays the drums, voice, and
the rattles. He combines all four
instruments to create a form of
music known as “Olowan”. The
Olowan is played to reflect the
characteristics of a thunderstorm.
Twelve albums have been produced
by Locke in the past 28
years. These albums accompany
the many traditions that highlight
society within the Lakota. Some of
his more notable albums include;
Dream Catcher, Open Circle, and
Keepers of the Dream.
Teaching and educating through
storytelling are also delegations
that Locke follows. He strives
to display the importance of not
only Native American rights but
of others as well. Some literature
includes the plight of the American
Indian during the early years
of American history.
Up until the early twentieth century,
Native Americans were seen
as inferior to the average “white”
American. Rampant discrimination
was discernable in many
communities populated by white
majorities. The Trail of Tears in
the 1830s serves as a prime example
of this discrimination which
led to the displacement of over
45,000 Native American tribes
from their homeland to “Indian
Territory” or Oklahoma.
In 1924, President Calvin
Coolidge signed a bill claiming
American Indians as citizens
of the United States. From this
point, many American Indian
reservations were made which allowed
for the creation of schools,
buildings, and roads. In 1968,
the American Indian Movement
(AIM) was passed to prevent ongoing
discrimination of Native
Americans and for educational
purposes.
“All of the people have the
same impulses, spirit and goals.
I want to create a positive awareness
of the Oneness of humanity,”
says Locke.
Locke has been touring the
world for more than 20 years and
has lectured and performed in
many countries around the world
including the United States, Germany,
Turkey, and Brazil. He
also works extensively with environmental
relations and resource
conservation.
The event will take place on
April 20, Tuesday, from 7:30 p.m.
to 11:30 p.m. at the Rozsa Center
for Performing Arts. Tickets
will be $25 for the general public
and $20 for students. For more
information regarding the event
contact the Native American Outreach
at (906) 487-2920 or by visiting
their website at http://www.
mutlicultural.mtu.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Please allow me to say this a week early. Because next week, you will be in your bedroom and enjoying break instead of reading my story in some lecture hall. Did your mom tell you a huge turkey is already in the freezer? Does the lucky bone still belong to you this year?
I had my first Thanksgiving with my roommate’s family last year. It made me feel like being with my own family. All the family members came back from different places. Thanksgiving dinner was the most delicious meal I have ever had. After the dinner, everyone sat in living room talking about his/her own story. Although I am not one of them, I still enjoyed the time to be with them.
Would you believe me if I told you that we don’t have turkey in China? Or, I should say we don’t have the Thanksgiving holiday. All the western holidays are so fresh to me. I had heard of them but never celebrated them.
Want to hear a funny story that happened to me last Christmas? I saw children standing in line to tell Santa their wishes when my friends and me were shopping in a pretty big mall. They had the idea that I should have a picture taken with Santa. Instead of paying the money, I had to lie to Santa that I came from China and had never heard about Santa before. I could see the incredible feeling from Santa’s eyes when I got the photo. Poor Santa…
What kind of holidays do we have then? The most famous Chinese holiday I think is Chinese New Year Eve and Spring Festival. People would like to call them Chinese New Year, but actually they are different. I just checked the calendar: 2010 Chinese New Year Eve is on February 13th. It is the last day of lunar year. Spring festival is the day right after that, which is the beginning of another year. 2010 will be the year of tiger. I believe Chinese student organizations will have some special events waiting for you, like Chinese night last year. Besides that, mid-autumn is also a pretty popular holiday. In the Chinese calendar, the moon gets most full among the whole year on August 15th. It is a family reunion holiday. Family members get together to celebrate it. Even if you can’t go back home at that time, you can still share the same full moon with your family. Isn’t that sweet? It is one of my favorite festivals. Because moon cakes are the most yummy food in the world!
I can give you a list of other Chinese holidays, see if you’ve heard about them or not. For example, Magpie Festival, which is Chinese Saint Valentine’s Day, Lantern Festival, Dragon Festival, Mourning Day, Chung Yeung Festival… Do they just blow your mind? Well, if I get chance, I can describe them for you later.
In the end, hope you all have a wonderful break. Drive safe and I’ll see you again the week after Thanksgiving!

As you drive down Navy Street on Hancock’s waterfront, passing the Ramada and the rustling of poplars and aspens, you come across Copper Island Beach Club, which opened Aug. 25. Although some have had the misconception that “club” means the business is private, only the upstairs exercise part is members only, while the downstairs restaurant and bar are open to the public.

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