Folk musician to speak for Native American Heritage Month

Art by Sophie Goessling

On Thursday, Nov. 14, the monthly Lunch and Learn event will be occurring in the Unity Room of the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center from 12-1 p.m. Those interested in attending the event need to RSVP beforehand.

This month’s event will feature guest speaker, Michael Murphy, who has worked across the country as a folk musician for over thirty years. He will be playing Native American flute for Thursday’s lunch hour and holding conversation about Native American culture. 

“This is an opportunity to celebrate with those who are cultural but also gives opportunities for those of us who may be outside of this paradigm of Native American ancestry to be able to celebrate with them and to learn about new cultures, new understandings and be able to meet people whom we've never met before,” Dr. Kenji Madison, director of the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center Office of Academic Success & Intercultural Services (JGMC/OASIS), said. “That's the beauty of what we're trying to accomplish here, is to give everyone equal exposure to things that are new, and hopefully we walk away with a better understanding of ourselves, but also a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures.” 

November is Native American Heritage Month. The month seeks to acknowledge and celebrate Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Island communities who have lived on American land for the centuries of their rich history. Through Native American Heritage Month, the achievements and contributions that Native Americans have made to the development of the United States can be recognized.

“Often, (in Native American culture), stories are told to educate others, and I think that is where the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center comes in, it's not just for faculty, staff and students who identify as native,” Kerra Russell, senior associate director at JGMC/OASIS, said. “It's for students who are not native, so that they can learn about those other cultures and where some of their peers or classmates come from.”

The Lunch and Learn event is open to any students, faculty or staff. Anyone wishing to engage in a culturally significant experience is encouraged to attend. 

“Understanding different cultures gives you a better insight of who you are,” Madison said. “It allows you to be more appreciative of where we came from, who we are, but also to understand how to mingle, exist, understand, appreciate, love, all those other things with cultures that may be different from us.”  

OASIS, which is housed in the Multicultural Center, is hosting the event. Their mission is to provide programming and opportunities allowing students to interact with people who are different from themselves. 

Throughout the school year, OASIS holds other Lunch and Learn events. The topics range from helping students get internships or jobs, to becoming resident assistants, orientation leaders or study abroad scholarship opportunities. 

“What's important here from the JGMC/OASIS framework that we have is trying to increase intercultural excellence, specifically around those who may be misrepresented or underrepresented,” Madison said. “And this celebration gives an opportunity for those who are native and have real close native ties to feel free to celebrate.” 

The JGMC/OASIS utilizes the Husker POWER areas of engagement and relationships. Through the opportunities they offer, they hope students will engage in the multicultural community around them and build meaningful connections with their peers. 

“We welcome all, it doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, what you believe, all those things here, this is a welcome space for everyone to feel free, to come in, to engage, to learn,” Madison said. “They laugh, they cry, they have a good time here. But everyone leaves this place knowing that they have benefited in some way, shape or form, whether they've made new relationships, (or) they've had a conversation that changed their perspective.” 

OASIS also hosts a weekly Dish It Up event on Tuesdays from 12-1 p.m., giving members of the UNL community an opportunity to engage in dialogue and challenge their perspectives. On Nov. 19’s Dish It Up, they are parenting with U.N.I.T.E., an on-campus RSO that aims to empower Indigenous students. 

Published in the Daily Nebraskan, read here.