Mesa Community College hosted its first Native American Day late last month in Mesa, Arizona. The event was hosted by MCC’s I.S.O Club which stands for Intertribal Student Organization a school club, which works hard to bring awareness to Native issues and to make sure all Natives feel welcome to the college. The event was the brainchild of Miss Colorado River Indian Tribes Audri Mitchell, 25 Under 25 Awardee, who who serves as the I.S.O Club President. The event aligns with her platform to encourage youth to be more involved in their cultural teachings.

The event started off with introductions from royalty, a Hoop Dance, along with a UNITY Wellness Warrior presentation/traditional game and ended with traditional songs by youth from the Salt River Indian Community and Gila River Indian Community. Tribal queens from across Arizona shared about themselves, their culture, and goals they’ve set for themselves both lifelong and through education. At the end of the introduction Jim Larney Director of the American Indian Institute spoke briefly to explain the goals of A.I.I. and the efforts to continue supporting Native students in their pursuit for higher education.

George Gonzalez, Mr.Indian SCC, entertained the crowd with a Hoop Dance performance. UNITY Wellness Warriors Megan Caye explained how the traditional game Double Ball worked, a traditional game where speed,stamina, eye-hand coordination and above all else teamwork, determined which team gets the most points. Native American Day was packed with memorable experiences meeting new people, competing in a thrilling traditional game and end with traditional songs and dances.