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NIC hosts American Indian Heritage Week

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NIC hosts American Indian Heritage Week

One might think that Native American Heritage Week would primarily focus on history. It is a celebration of what was, but, more importantly, it is an inspiration for what will be.

Guest speaker, Margo Aragon told the story of John Herrington, the first Native American in space, and her own story, in the second of a series of lectures entitled “American Indian Voices Speaking to the Future” held on April 6 during NIC’s 2016 American Indian Heritage Week.

The two grew up in separate parts of the US, connected by the excitement they both felt as they watched the first moon landing broadcast. It was the kind of excitement one experiences when they realize all of the incredible new opportunities available to them. And it is that excitement that the company they eventually created together, Herrington Aerospace Limited, would inspire the next generation.

Aragon encourages young people to look into the stars and ask themselves, “What constellation are you going to create for yourself?”

Your constellation is representative of all the connections you make throughout your journey. Aragon and Herrington’s stories flowed perfectly together because the journeys people take to get to where they want to be follow a similar trend.

Aragon continued her own story and told of how she applied for a job as a news broadcaster. She knew that she could never get this particular job because the company had never put a person of color in front of the screen before. Still, the interviewing experience she would gain would be good practice for future jobs, and she decided it was worth it. She got the job. At first, it was terrifying for her, but then 12 years had past. Herrington went through a similar experience in becoming an astronaut.

There is fear in pursuing something new, something that may not have ever been done before, especially for Native Americans, who have often been misrepresented as bystanders or observers. There is fear in continuing with it, and there may be doubts along the way. But, eventually, the fear becomes part of the adventure. The key is to start now, even if your path is still unclear.

Other events that took place over the Native American Heritage week included coyote story telling, a silent auction, an Indian taco and fry bread sale, several tribal presentations and an American Indian craft workshop for families. And on Thursday, April 7, the American Indian Student Alliance Club presented $5,000 dollars to the North Idaho College Foundation for the Che’nshish Scholarship, which is given to a first or second generation native descendent in March of every year.

Hi. I'm Celeste Kump. I grew up in Northern California and Austria. I'm an NIC student and I have been writing for the Sentinel since the beginning of Spring 2016. I also write horoscopes for the paper under the pen name Red the Psychic.

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