Columbus Day is interesting to consider from the Old World point of view. For Native American people in particular it bears a source of pride in the sense that we are descendants of hundreds of years of survivors. We are still here.

I am Yawndhawi from the Tuscarora Nation, turtle clan. My name means ‘she brings in the morning.’ Many people here in classes tell me when they meet me that they’ve never met a Native American person before in their life. Fortunately, at this university I have been able to say, ‘Turn around, that guy sitting on the other side of the class is from the same reservation as me.’ Thanks to the Haudenosaunee Promise Scholarship there are students from various reservations belonging to the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee attending Syracuse University. We are here working toward an education that otherwise would have been financially impossible.

Given that historically our oral traditions have been looked down upon as inferior to written texts, it would have been unbelievable just a few generations ago to see Haudenosaunee students at institutions of higher education. I argue that our oral tradition is a key component to the survival of the Haudenosaunee. It has been fundamental in allowing us to adapt quickly in the face of adversity to sustain our way of life. At the same time, we embrace the opportunities laid before us and take those ventures to enrich the lives of our people.

The world we have inherited today is the legacy of all of our ancestors. We want our legacy to be one in which the Haudenosaunee ways are still strong and the teachings of our elders are still enduring. We want all indigenous people to be celebrated and respected for the role we played in American history.

Corinne E. Abrams

Native American Students at Syracuse