Katelyn Moorman
Staff Writer
Preserving Native American cultures and stimulating an interest towards enrollment at UW for the perspective of Native American students is a main goal of recognised student organization (RSO) Keepers of the Fire, said Vice President Wolf Star Duran.
Keepers of the Fire is a RSO seeking to maintain and promote Native American culture as well as help other ethnic groups better understand Native Americans. Duran said the RSO is the oldest established RSO on campus.
The RSO was established to create “a support system for the Native community on campus, since we are such a small percentage of the population,” said Duran.
“As a freshman coming into UW, this was my main group of support,” Duran said. “For me, I was always in my dorm. Keepers kind of pulled me out of that dorm and pushed me to be active on campus.”
Duran said a main purpose for the RSO is to “promote the unity of Native American students at UW, and to encourage the involvement of Native American students in other UW activities.”
Keepers of the Fire holds many events, from participating every year in the homecoming parade to holding informal protests. On Columbus Day, Duran said they protested against the federal holiday by calling it Indigenous Peoples Day. She said there was an event in Mar. which helped to raise awareness for the large amount of missing and murdered indigenous women in the United States.
Since Nov. is Native American Heritage month, Duran said an event is being planned within a few weeks, sponsored by Native programs outside of the Native American Center. They have collaborated with the Native Program at Colorado State University to hold an event in which Winona LaDuke, an environmentalist known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, came to speak.
“It was really interesting to be able to go down there and interact with them,” Duran said.
Duran said joining Keepers of the Fire gave her a home away from home, and in order to keep that feeling alive, she ran for Vice President.
Students involved in Keepers of the Fire have a wide array of majors, from kinesiology, computer science and psychology to secondary education and anthropology. Some students have a Native American and Indigenous Studies major, but Duran said the majors are “very spread out.”
“We’re very inclusive,” Duran said. “If anyone wants to join, they can join. Come to a meeting or contact us through UW connect.”
