Political science alumnus Carl Moore, wants to reach out to UVU students who are interested in activism.
“We need to do stuff in Utah County. I think that there’s people there, I think that it’s mostly youth and college students that are going to be the ones coming out, because it’s such a conservative area,” he said at a PANDOS meeting in February.
PANDOS advocates protection and rights for Native communities. Moore is of the Hopi and Chemehuevi tribes, and said the two main causes they stand for are environmental rights and human rights.
Jacob Crane, business management major, is part of the UVU’s Native Initiative and has been to Standing Rock. Crane said that he thinks Standing Rock is definitely a repeat of history. “I would like to see Native students stand up for themselves and voice their views on Native issues,” Crane said. He identifies as part of the Tsuut’ina First Nation and not as Native American as he sees it as a form of assimilation by the Government.
Moore, who has organized support for Indian Americans, says he stands with all marginalized groups.
“We marched at the Women’s March, I spoke at the March for Refugees, I went and spoke at the Muslim Ban Rally in Salt Lake City. So, wherever there are minority groups that are being oppressed, I want to lend my voice to them,” he said.
Ken Sekaquaptewa, program director of the UVU Native American Initiative, talked about how the events taking place at Standing Rock.
“Historically, Indians are the invisible forgotten people in this country. So, anytime there is an issue in some part of the country that is finally getting noticed, Indian people support and gather together to help the mainstream community recognize that these kinds of things have been going on for 500 years,” Sekaquaptewa said. He also mentioned how he has witnessed how Moore stands for Native issues through inclusion rather than militant activism.
PANDOS will be organizing “Discussion of Cultural Appropriation” at the Social Behavioral Science Building in Salt Lake City March 27.
Another event during Earth Day weekend will be “Folklore in Honor of Water” where cultural traditions will be performed through dance and storytelling which will address the essential right for water April 21 at the SLC Library Auditorium.
