Feeling marginalized after last fall's debates surrounding the College's use of a Native American mascot, Agatha Erickson '09 created First Voices, a publication for members of Dartmouth's indigenous communities to express themselves and educate others.
"Our voice tends to go unheard," Erickson, a Koyukon Athabascan Indian, said.
After almost two years of work, First Voices is scheduled to be released this term during Pow Wow Weekend, which will take place on May 9-11. The paper will feature student submissions, including essays, academic articles, "politically charged" poetry and culturally representative art, Erickson said. While the publication currently focuses on the Native American community, Erickson said that she hopes it will include submissions from indigenous people from other cultural groups in the future.
Erickson, First Voice's editor-in-chief, and a group of other interested students and faculty received funding for the publication from the Council on Student Organizations last Winter term, according to Erickson. The group had spent most of the term writing proposals and mission statements in preparation for the meeting, she said, and after about five minutes of deliberation, COSO agreed to make the project official.
Before presenting their idea to COSO, the group -- then composed of 10 interested students and faculty -- invited the Native American community to attend a budget proposal meeting to show their support for the publication, Erickson said.
The meeting was well attended, according to Jamie Keith '09, one of the paper's assistant editors along with Shawna Whitehat '07.
"The whole room was filled with students and faculty and a lot of people spoke about why it was important to have this [paper]," Keith said.
Keith is not Native American, but grew up on the reservation of the Hopi tribe in Arizona, which she said makes her feel like a member of the Native American community. She stressed the importance of contributions from non-indigenous people to First Voices.
"If they're allies for Native American issues, I think it's definitely important to have them participate in the dialogue," she said.
Aaron Sims '09, co-president of Native Americans at Dartmouth, said he supports First Voices because he thinks it is important that students get a "well-rounded understanding and exposure" while going to school at Dartmouth.
"We have such an incredible opportunity to not only learn from our classes, but learn from each other," he said. "It would be rather ignorant to isolate yourself."
Sims submitted some pieces, including an essay that details his experience as an intern working with Regis Pecos, a Native American and the chief of staff for the speaker of the house in the New Mexico state legislature. During his internship, Sims helped Pecos try to pass the American Indian Health Care Improvement Act in the state, he said. The legislation, which would have increased the amount of money Native Americans receive for health care treatment, ultimately did not get passed according to Sims, but inspired him to work harder for the Native American community. Sims' essay will be featured in a future issue of First Voices due to time constraints.
Eliza Yellow Bird '09, a member of the Alpha Phi Omega sorority for Native American women, missed the submission deadline for First Voices, but plans to contribute at a later time, she said. One of her main motivations for submitting work is breaking stereotypes about Native Americans, she said, adding that most of her poetry and essays attempt to counter what the media portrays.
Yellow Bird does not want people to think First Voices was created solely in response to the attacks on Native Americans that happened last year, she said.
"We're doing this because we want to, because we're proud of who we are, not anything The [Dartmouth] Review might have said," she said.
In addition to students' submissions, the first issue of First Voices will feature an interview with Native American Alvin Warren '91, in which Warren describes his job as the Secretary of Indian Affairs in New Mexico. It will also include an excerpt from Dartmouth history professor Colin Calloway's book, "Indian Education and Dartmouth Creation Stories," which details the College's Native American history.
Although First Voices has received a great deal of support thus far, Erickson said she recognizes that not everyone will agree with the paper. She will not measure its success on how many people read the publication or who agrees or not, she said.
"If we can change [misunderstanding] now by educating one future senator here at Dartmouth, then we are successful," she said.
