Native American Week festivities in full swing

Native American Week festivities began Monday with the raising of a teepee at Montana State University-Northern and the diabetes walk at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation.

Joseph Cochran of the Blood Indian Reserve in Canada was present at the raising of the teepee to pray and smudge.

"Smudging is just like a blessing - for the teepee or any kind of ceremony that's going on," Cochran said. " ... It's very important for the Native people."

The smoke of the sweetgrass was used to bless the site of the teepee and to allow anyone who wanted to smudge to do so.

Every year, the Sweetgrass Society teepee is raised on Northern's campus. This year, the location of the teepee was next to the practice field instead of its usual location by the Student Union Building so people driving by the campus could see it.

Cristina Estrada-Underwood, Northern's director of diversity awareness and multicultural programs, said that there were some complications with the raising of the teepee, but she was pleased with the outcome.

"It was a good experience," Estrada-Underwood said. " ... I'm so much looking forward to the rest of the week."

At Northern, amid celebrations for homecoming week, there is a full schedule of events.

Terry Brockie, superintendent of schools for Blaine County, will be giving a lecture on current Indian issues from 1 to 2 p.m. today in the Hensler Auditorium in the Applied Technology Center.

On Wednesday, the beadwork workshop and Indian taco sale at Cowan Hall in Room 308 will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A round dance and berry soup and bread meal will be at the SUB Ballroom at noon Thursday, wrapping up the Native American Week celebrations at the university.

Rocky Boy will have a series of conferences for the entire week about topics such as domestic abuse, the Affordable Care Act, suicide prevention and many more at the Stone Child College campus. Lunch and breakfast will be provided every day of the lecture series and door prizes will be awarded for attendees.

Duncan Standing Rock spoke Friday about a sweat lodge he had a large hand in creating while he was on the tribal council at Rocky Boy and was trying to renovate.

"We've been trying to revive some of the precious culture," Standing Rock said.

He added that assimilation into the culture of the new arrivals has caused problems in their own culture and that the Native American people need to hold on to what is left.

"There's so much precious things that are still there, but assimilation has been very powerful," he said. "It has a way of causing people to lose themselves. ... That's why we we're trying to revive some of the precious, sacred gifts we once had."