The Native American Society and the School of Visual Arts are honoring Native American heritage.
Miss Indian OCU was crowned and the Spring powwow is scheduled for Saturday. A Native American art exhibition is also open on campus through May.
Crowning new royalty
A new Miss Indian OCU was crowned this semester.
Grace Mertz, exercise science freshman, was crowned 2018-19 Miss Indian OCU on March 8.
Mertz is from Northwest Arkansas, so she didn’t have many opportunities to be involved with her tribe, she said.
“Coming to a school in Oklahoma provided me with more options to be connected,” she said. “I joined the Native American Society in hopes of learning more about my heritage and Native American life.”
Mertz said she was encouraged to step into the role of Miss Indian OCU by her peers in NAS.
“At first I was hesitant because I felt unprepared, not having grown up actively involved in a Native American community, but I realized this was an opportunity for me to embrace my heritage and learn while representing my fellow native students,” she said.
Mertz will be honored at the spring powwow.
“In the native traditions, as opposed to someone receiving gifts when they are crowned, they give away,” said Russ Tallchief, director of student engagement, inclusion and multicultural programs. “We’ll give away to the different committee members and honor the position, acknowledge and then formalize the crowning and her moving into her role.”
Miss Indian OCU typically receives a sash, crown and tuition waiver for the year of her reign, Tallchief said.
Mertz said she considers her role as Miss Indian OCU the opportunity of a lifetime.
“During my reign, I hope to encourage more students to join the Native American Society so they too can learn more about the rich cultures of Native Americans,” she said.
Hosting the Spring Contest Powwow
NAS will host the 12th annual Spring Contest Powwow.
The powwow will begin at noon Saturday in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center.
The schedule for the powwow is:
-Doors open at noon,
-2 p.m. gourd dancing,
-5 p.m. supper,
-6 p.m. gourd dancing, and
-7 p.m. grand entry.
President Robert Henry will be honored for his service to OCU at the powwow at 4 p.m.
“OCU’s powwow is one of the best university powwows around,” Tallchief said. “For one thing, we’re a competition powwow. That’s a big deal–we can actually give prize money.”
The different dance contests include women’s buckskin, cloth and jingle/fancy shawl. The men’s contests are straight, fancy, traditional, and grass.
Prizes are:
-Drum Contest, winner takes all $300,
-Grand Entry, first place $200,
-Grand Entry, second place $150, and
-Grand Entry, third place $75.
Tallchief said it costs about $9,000 to host a powwow, and the Native American students worked all year to raise money for it by selling tacos and getting donations.
Kevin Chissoe, accounting junior and NAS president, said he is excited to see the product of NAS’s preparation.
“All of NAS has been working hard to put this together, so I am excited to see all of our hard work pay off,” Chissoe said.
There are eight active members of NAS, Chissoe said.
“I am helping with a lot of the bigger picture details such as finding volunteers, inviting people to come, talking to our sponsors at the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, and ironing out any problems we come across,” he said.
The event is free and open to all students and the community.
“We expect a good turnout this year, but we want as many people to come as possible,” Chissoe said. “Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us throughout the day.”
Vendors also will be present at the powwow.
“It’s a big event and they really need volunteers,” Tallchief said. “They need help, and it works for community service.”
For questions or to volunteer for the event, students can email Tallchief at trtallchief@okcu.edu or message the NAS Facebook page “OCU NAS.”
Showcasing native art
The School of Visual Arts is hosting the Native American art exhibition for the second year in a row.
“It’s an exhibition that highlights Native American art-making in Oklahoma City,” said Holly Moye, director of the School of Visual Arts. “It’s Oklahoma artists that are Native American or are working with Native American themes.”
The exhibition is entitled “Spring Equinox.” It opened March 26 and will close May 10 in Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery in Norick Art Center.
Tallchief explained the meaning of the title in a March 5 press release.
“The Vernal Equinox has been observed by Native cultures since ancient times when tribes relied on the position of the sun to inform the annual calendar,” he wrote. “The Vernal Equinox marks the awakening of the sleepy winter and birth of new life in the natural world.”
The exhibition features the work of six Oklahoma artists: Mel Cornshucker, Tom Farris, Wendy Ponca, Erin Shaw, Tony Tiger, and Margaret Roach Wheeler. It is free and open to the public.
“There is a wide range and mix of medias,” Moye said. “It’s a fun show.”
For more information, email Moye at hmmoye@okcu.edu.
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