USM to Hoist Flags of Native American Nations at R.C. Cook Union Oct. 15
Thu, 10/14/2021 - 11:20am | By: David Tisdale
On Friday, Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m., The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM) R.C. University Union will dedicate six flags of Native American nations represented by students enrolled at the university. Members of the USM and local communities are invited to attend this ceremony.
The raising of the flags is a visual effort to underscore that the USM student community is truly global, one that each of its members can learn from, said Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Denny Bubrig. The project began three years ago with the placement of international flags in the Cook Union Building to recognize the international student community.
The flags will be placed alongside other flags from around the world and updated each academic year during the fall semester to reflect all communities represented on campus by students.
Native American nations to be represented by flags hoisted Oct. 15 include the following:
*The Jena Band of Choctaw Indians
*The Poarch Band of Creek Indians
*The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
*The United Houma Nation
*The Muscogee Nation
*The White Earth Nation of the Ojibwe Tribe
鈥淎t most institutions, the campus union is considered a non-academic 鈥榟eart鈥� of campus, or the campus 鈥榣iving room,鈥� if you will,鈥� Dr. Bubrig noted. 鈥淥ne of our goals is recognizing the backgrounds, experiences and lives of our students, and in doing this, we want to make sure our community sees the union services, resources, and capabilities as accessible to all.
鈥淓arlier this summer, as we were considering other ways to recognize our students and what they bring to the table, we realized we could do a similar project calling attention to the Native American students in our campus community. Beginning next fall, these flags will be updated alongside the international ones to reflect the current USM enrollment.鈥�
Dr. Tammy Greer, a professor of psychology and advisor to the Golden Eagles Intertribal Society (GEIS) and co-director for the Center for American Indian Research and Studies, said she and Native American students at USM are grateful for the effort to recognize their place in the university community.
Present and former GEIS students worked with Dr. Bubrig in organizing the flag ceremony. Harold 鈥淒oc鈥� Comby, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians who emcees at annual Golden Eagle powwows, will be a featured speaker at the ceremony and will remark on the importance of creating space for this kind of diversity.
鈥淚 appreciate Dr. Bubrig鈥檚 work to have our flags displayed in the union and celebrate
our Native students,鈥� Dr. Greer said. 鈥淚t takes extra effort to look around and notice
what is missing, which groups have been left out, and then step up to make sure they
are included.
鈥淎nd, as we just celebrated Indigenous Peoples鈥� Day, this event is right on time.鈥�
For more information about this event, contact the University Union at 601.266.6194 or email unionFREEMississippi.
