In the university setting, Faulk said being a part of a group such as North American Indigenous Student Organization is important for learning about different aspects of his culture and taking part in different events.

On Monday, known as Columbus Day, a federal holiday, NAISO celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day with a march from the Main Library to the rock on Farm Lane, with native drumming and speakers.

Faulk said the march and other activities were important because he was able to go out and learn native issues rather than just sitting in his dorm room.

“After celebrating Columbus Day over and over, you wonder why you’re celebrating the beginning of the destruction of our culture,” NAISO co-chairwoman Heather-Ashley Bishop said.

Native drumming — part of the day’s events — was a way to honor the culture, heritage and elders, she said. MSU professors Helen Roy and Philip Bellfy also spoke about Native American issues at the event.

Indigenous Peoples Day was created in the early 1990s as a response to Columbus Day, as well as a way to celebrate the Native American population, NAISO co-chairman Lloyd Weathers said.

“Most people are oblivious to the fact that Indigenous Peoples Day exists,” he said. “It’s not a part of their lives, they look at the calendar holiday and that’s what they think is important.”

John Sturk, a 2006 MSU alumnus and former co-chairman of NAISO, said he came back to MSU for Indigenous Peoples Day to help keep the tradition alive.

With his sister, a junior at MSU, Sturk said celebrating native traditions has become a family affair.

“The reason I joined NAISO was to learn more about the culture I never knew growing up,” he said.

A part of the Mohawk tribe, Sturk said NAISO has helped him to embrace his heritage..

“NAISO events like Indigenous Peoples Day and (Pow-Wow of Love) are not just for native students,” he said.

“It’s about celebrating the culture, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a part of your heritage.”