A small crowd of students claimed their plates of free food and left, disregarding the cultural event happening before them at LBCC’s Native American heritage month kickoff event at the Pacific Coast Campus.
The event had four booths set up and scattered in the grass of the EE quad, was a total of seven tables.
Off to the side, food began being served and a line formed to receive their fry bread and drinks.
Once people got food, they left the event and did not stay to watch the performances going on.
“I only come to PCC once a week and I had no idea this event was even happening,” LBCC student Nick Wilde said. “It’s not often we have stuff happen at PCC but I also understand why. Not as many students come here.”
The event was held at PCC rather than LAC because “[the school] has to have one at PCC each semester,” said director of student equity, Eric Bacerra.
With less than 100 LBCC students identifying as Native American, it was suspected that may have played a part in why this particular event was held at a smaller campus.
“I think they maybe chose to do it here because it might appeal to less people. Not that it can’t or shouldn’t appeal to everyone, but that just might have been their thought process,” LBCC student Sara Ramirez said. “The school is mainly Latino so of course they wouldn’t do that one at the smaller campus.”
In the crowd there were almost solely faculty members and other non-students.
The event began with a land acknowledgment like most other kickoff events do.
Member of the Wild Horse Native American organization, Tso Yanez, took the stage to speak on the significance of knowing the roots of a persons’ heritage and why an event like the kickoff was needed.
After speaking, he welcomed up multiple members from the Wild Horse organization to perform dances in their traditional regalia.
The kickoff was just the start of Native American heritage month peacemaking circle to come throughout the rest of the month.