Stacie Larsen
Managing Editor
At 12:30pm., on Nov. 13, Cameron’s Native American Student Organization (NASA) hosted a “Rock Your Mocs” event in honor of National American Indian Heritage Month.
NASA member and sophomore Allied Health Science major Fawn Tsatoke said the event was part of a nationwide social media celebration called “Rock Your Mocs,” which was started by a twenty-one-year-old enrolled Laguna Pueblo tribe member Jessica Jaylyn Atsye.
Since 2011, between Nov. 12-17, Native Americans have been encouraged to wear their moccasins to celebrate the event.
“It’s a call for Natives to bring attention and awareness that we are here,” Tsatoke said, “We are in your schools. We are in your colleges, in your towns and in your communities.”
The event’s starting point was located in between the Shepler towers and the Aggie Rec Center.
It officially began with a prayer, the national anthem and door prizes in the gazebo of Bentley Gardens.
After giving away door prizes, while holding tribal flags, NASA members led event participants down the aggie mile.
While the purpose of the event was to participate in the nationwide celebration and increase cultural awareness, NASA president and senior Psychology major Sydney Prince said she hoped to increase the awareness of the organization itself.
“We brought our tribal flags to represent that we are here,” she said. “We’re not invisible, and we are here on campus if people wanted to join us.”
By having events, Tsatoke said she wants others to learn what the organization is all about but also hopes to make a difference on campus.
“I want others to know that we are not just an organization or association,” she said. “We are a people.
“We want students to not just see us but also to find some pride in their selves, their culture, their heritage [and] not to be ashamed or embarrassed to express themselves for who they truly are.”
Although the organization just started this semester, Tsatoke said she has been impressed with how enthused the club members have been.
“We are just going to keep what we’ve been doing – keep promoting and telling people as much as possible and getting other people more involved,” she said.
She also said she feels lucky to be among so many great members, including the president.
“She was also her Wichita Tribal Princess as well as the Miss Indian Oklahoma Princess,” Tsatoke said, “We also have Ashleigh Mithlo, the current Comanche Nation Princess… [and] the previous Comanche Nation Princess, Tristen Wauqua. It’s a pretty good group.”
Prince said NASA is working hard to come up with events that will be enjoyable for everyone, whether they are a member of NASA or not.
“We are trying to set up events that could possibly lead up to being annual events like Rock your Mocs and Indengious Peoples’ Day,” she said. “I think they are landmark events for Native American people to celebrate and for individuals that are not Native American so that they can enjoy and learn about Native American culture.”
Prince said her participation in the organization has been fun and enlightening.
“On a personal level, I have been able to make brand new friends and new connections,” she said. “Since I’m Wichita, a lot of times I only know Native American culture based on Wichita’s, but having this organization has opened my eyes to see how different each tribe is.
“We are trying to get to the point where we are learning different hymns from different tribes because each tribe has different languages [and] different values.”
She also said they want everyone who attends events to feel like they can be part of the organization.
“It’s for anybody that wants to enjoy the culture and learn more,” she said.
Prince said NASA will be hosting a powwow on Jan. 12 in the Aggie Rec Center, which will be free and open to the community.
For more information about NASA events or how to become a member, email Sydney Prince at sydney.prince@cameron.edu.
