The Williamson Alumni Center orchestrated its inaugural “Coming Together With Nature” event To kick off Native American Heritage Month. 

The event featured Native American husband and wife duo Nell and Jim Orndorf, who educated students about the history of Native American heritage. 

Nell, a Kent State graduate, and her husband Jim have been educating about Native American Heritage at Kent since 2012. 

“Our intent is to have people understand about the indigenous people,” Nell said. “No matter what nationality you are, if we can keep it going then it will last forever, if you don’t it all dies with us.” 

Jim started the event by reciting a spirit prayer for the trees and burning sage around the room.

“Nature is for us it is a part of us; we should respect all things placed upon this earth,” he said. 

The two discussed how silenced and underrepresented the voices of Native Americans are compared to other racial groups, highlighting why people must learn more about their history. 

“Native American Heritage Month was originally only a week and this was not declared until 1975 by President Ford,” Jim said. 

President George H.W. Bush extended the week to a month in 1990.

“There is not one Native American reservation in the state of Ohio,” Nell said.

During the event, students and Jim went outside, where Jim saged the tree. 

“We honor the spirit of all things,” he said. 

After they returned inside, they were given materials and encouraged to create prayer ties. Prayer ties are made with red, black, yellow and white cloth, with each color having a different meaning. They are filled with tobacco or sage at the center of the fabric and then tied off. Prayer ties are meant to be created with intention or prayer in mind and then tied on the branch of a tree when finished.

Attendees were also given small bags of tobacco meant to be taken with them and carried around at all times to place on the ground when they spot animals, such as a deer or an owl, to thank them for their presence. 

“The tobacco is an offering for the spirit and animals, and to give thanks to the trees,” Nell said. 

Cassie Kirby, director of the Kent State University Woman’s Center, said she hoped the event could start the discussion of missing and murdered indigenous women.

“I really felt that it was important to elevate voices and awareness about missing and murdered indigenous women,” she said. “This is a great time to elevate those particular issues.”

This event is just the beginning of what will come for Native American Heritage Month. 

Throughout the month, events are being held by USG and the Student Multicultural Center to shine a spotlight on missing and murdered indigenous women.

“I’m hoping that this creates some momentum. I wanted to find a way to get people to come together to raise awareness,” she said. “It’s everybody’s responsibility to do that. With the environment that we are in right now, there is something about coming back to roots and nature. Coming back to connectedness and community, it just felt like this made sense.”

Samira Brown is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected]