With November being Native American Heritage Month (NAHM), Multicultural Student Affairs will be hosting a kickoff event at Talley Student Union tomorrow from 3 to 5 p.m. Students who are both aware and unaware of the coming month of cultural focus are encouraged to come, as they will be able to learn more about it and the Native American-based organizations that bring the marvels of indigenous knowledge and culture to campus.

The kickoff will feature a vibrant performance from the student-led Native American drum group Miskya Waya, which will be performing traditional Native American songs.

NAHM will see many events occurring on campus throughout the month that enrich the cultural diversity of campus by showcasing different facets of Native American life and practices.

Among the events held, there will be a panel where Native American students will speak, titled “Native Voices: A Student Panel and Quiz Bowl”; a discussion on Native American masculinity, titled “Decolonizing Native Masculinity” at the Women’s Center; a showcase of gender and sexuality titled “The Queerness of Native American Literature”; a culture night at Piedmont Ballroom showcasing Native American traditions and other events that include discussions and Native American arts and crafts.

“Native American Heritage Month is a chance to celebrate our collective resilience and reflect on the progress we’ve made over the years,” said Belton Moore, a third-year studying economics and the vice president of Native American Student Association (NASA). “The Native Voices panel is one such time for us to come together and have a conversation about our experiences at NC State.” Moore will be speaking at the Native Voices panel Nov. 6 at Park Shops 210.

In addition to the kickoff, the NASA of NC State will be having a general body meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. in room 3120 of Talley Student Union, where students can learn more information from the NASA executive board on the upcoming events of the month.

“NAHM is my favorite part of the year, because I get to see the university that I love come together and share the culture and history of my people that I love,” said Jacob Jacobs, a fourth-year studying chemical engineering and the president of NASA.“This year specifically I am looking forward to our culture night, because this year we will be having an elder on campus telling traditional stories and legends which we have not done since I have been at State.”

Nashia Whittenburg, the director of Multicultural Student Affairs, is hopeful for the education of student body through NAHM.

“Native American History Month kicks off right after Halloween, where there is a gross and egregious cultural appropriation of the culture,” Whittenburg said. “What I’m hoping is to use this month as leverage to dispel a lot stereotypes to get to a point and a place where culturally we are not disrespecting another culture through Halloween, or any other quote-unquote ‘dress up’ day, where people see the importance of Native American culture, in not just our United States society, but our global society.”

Amberlina Alston, a third-year studying psychology and NASA historian, took part in the planning committee for the NAHM events. Alston is unapologetic in her belief that Native American culture is as strong as ever today.

“What I hope to achieve through NAHM is to educate people and show them that Native American culture is still alive and relevant,” Alston said. “Since Native Americans are rarely talked about unless it’s a sentence or two in a history book, or in cases such as the Dakota Pipeline, this month is very important. I feel that Native American history is not taught enough, especially in the American educational system.”

Alston echoed Jacobs’s excitement for the upcoming culture night, which will be talked about further at the NAHM kickoff tomorrow.

“This year we will be having a mini pow-wow where performers dance and explain why it is significant in Native American Culture,” Alston said.