Many students on campus celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday instead of Columbus Day.
Some student groups, such as the North American Indigenous Student Association, or NAISO, refer to the event as Indigenous Peoples Day because Christopher Columbus claimed the Americas when natives were already there, NAISO co-chairperson Vanessa Welch said.
"People that don't know about Native American culture say that Columbus found America when really North Americans were already there," the studio art sophomore said.
"He shouldn't be celebrated because he found something that wasn't lost."
Don Lyons, cultural programmer for NAISO, said it's important for American Indians to celebrate their rich history.
"It's important that we, as indigenous members in the community, have a day for remembrance," Lyons said. "In essence, Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrating the continuum of our way of life."
Students and community members gathered at the rock on Farm Lane to remember the indigenous people who lived in the U.S. prior to Columbus' alleged discovery in 1492. Student leaders from Culturas de las Razas Unidas, Asian Pacific American Student Organization and NAISO were present at the gathering.
"The gathering at the rock is important because we get together and listen to each other," Lyons said. "It's important because we see all of the people that support Indigenous Peoples Day and not Columbus Day."
A panel discussion was also held in North Kedzie Hall about the effects of illegal immigration on indigenous people in the U.S. today. Before the group headed to the discussion panel, three students attending the event played a drum and sang a traditional American Indian song.
Paolo Sarmiento, a studio art junior, came to the rock to support Indigenous Peoples Day.
"It makes me respect how Native Americans have gone through so much," he said. "That's why I came here — just to support them." The panel was comprised of five people who were there to share their views on issues relative to their areas of work. The panel included a representative from NAISO, Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de Aztlan, the American Indian Studies Program and the MSU College of Law.
The panelists discussed issues ranging from border control in Canada and Mexico, problems facing American Indian reservations and tribes and international perspectives about laws and decisions pertaining to border control.
Papers displayed behind Wells Hall had student responses to illegal immigration in the United States.
Nicole Rivera, an audiology and speech sciences senior, said she planned the event with a friend in response to the Young Americans for Freedom's "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" activity on campus, which was cancelled. She wanted to give students a chance to express their thoughts about immigration, she said.
"It was very important because a lot of people have a lot of messages to send about illegal immigration, but they won't come out in the paper or media to say anything," Rivera said. "This allows them to say what they wanted and this lets the message out to people that were going to class."
