OMA and OSQA Blog

“Eena Haws” means “Beaver House” (beaver image by Haida Nation artist Clarence Mills)

In a collaborative effort between the OSU Native American Longhouse Eena Haws (NAL), Natchee Barnd, an Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies and Native American Studies as part of the School of Language, Culture, and Society, and the OMA, we now have 7 oral history interviews with NAL staff members!

All interviewees were asked to share their experiences working at the NAL, give their perspective regarding the significance of the new Longhouse, and offer their ideas for the future of the Longhouse.

Hali’a Parish, Office Assistant

Interview Transcript and Interview Audio

Brief Biography:
Hali’a was born September 15, 1992, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her hometown is Kapolei, Hawaii on the island of O’ahu. At the time of the interview she was a junior studying Business.

Interview Information:
Date: May 21, 2013
Location: Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse
Length: 00:24:04
Interviewer: Natchee Barnd
Transcriber: Hope Ervin-Murillo

Interview Description:
Parish discusses her experiences and personal growth working on campus in the Native American Longhouse; her thoughts on the importance of diversity development in OSU and the local community; the joys and challenges of learning the Native American culture; the success of NAL participation in events such as Heritage Month, Connect Week, the annual Salmon Bake and the Grand Opening of the new Native American Longhouse; the September retreat in Salem for cultural centers staff; the opening of the new longhouse and the sense of community within; her ideas for Native Hawaiian activities, collaboration with the P0lynesian Culture Club and Hui o Hawai’i, and outreach to the local population; her advice to future longhouse staff; and her experiences as a Native Hawaiian both in Hawaii and here at OSU.

Carmen López, Office Assistant

Interview Transcript and Interview Audio

Brief Biography:
Carmen was born November 2, 1991, in Portland, Oregon. Her hometown is The Dalles, Oregon. At the time of the interview she was a junior double majoring in Human Development & Family Sciences and Spanish.

Interview Information:
Date: May 22, 2013
Location: Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse
Length: 00:22:30
Interviewer: Natalia Fernández
Transcribers: Johnathan Ngo & Anna Brecheisen

Interview Description:
López discusses her experience working as an office assistant at NAL and learning about Native cultures; the NAL booth on Earth Day; the Salmon Bake event; the importance of salmon and camas to the tribes of the Pacific Northwest and the need to better communicate the meaning of salmon, camas, and dream catchers to event attendees; her experiences as a non-Native member of the staff; her feelings on missing the old Quonset hut, her advice for future non-Native NAL staff and any staff working in cultural centers they don’t racially or ethnically identify with the center in which they work; the significance of the full name of the new Longhouse; her ideas about the NAL collaborating with the 4Cs; and the positive effect of OSU 0n her personal identity as Latina, Mexicana, and Chicana.

Daniel Cárdenas, GTA

Interview Transcript and Interview Audio

Brief Biography:
Daniel was born May 24, 1985, in Anaheim Hills, California. His hometown is a suburb of Sacramento, Fair Oaks, California. At the time of the interview he was a first year grad student studying College Student Services Administration.

Interview Information:
Date: May 23, 2013
Location: Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse
Length: 00:55:02
Interviewer: Natalia Fernández
Transcriber: Hope Ervin-Murillo

Interview Description:
Cárdenas discusses the challenges, responsibilities, and growth he has experienced working as a graduate teaching assistance in the Longhouse; the events of Native Heritage Month; the planning and challenges of opening and moving into the new Longhouse, the annual Pow Wow thrown by NASA; relationships with other cultural centers staff, ideas for intercultural center collaboration; the Oregon One Percent for Art law and the art in the new Longhouse, including the art of artist Shirod Younker; the importance of honoring intersecting identities, the generosity of the local Native community; ideas about bringing in Native language speakers, visiting other longhouses and building ties with the nine tribes of Oregon, and OSU’s impact on his personal racial, ethnic, and spiritual identity.

Nadia Alradhi, Activities Coordinator    

Interview Transcript and Interview Audio

Brief Biography:
Nadia was born March 19, 1992, in Eugene, Oregon. Her hometown is Estacada, Oregon. At the time of the interview she was a senior with plans to graduate in the Fall of 2013 with a degree in Public Health.

Interview Information:
Date: May 23, 2013
Location: Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse
Length: 00:38:38
Interviewer: Natalia Fernández
Transcriber: Natalia Fernández

Interview Description:
Alradhi, a member of the Karuk Tribe of Northern California, describes her experiences as Activities Coordinator at the Native American Longhouse (NAL) and Secretary of the Native American Student Association (NASA). She discusses planning NAL activities; bringing events to OSU dorms; the challenge of advertising the NAL as available for non-natives as well as natives; NASA Pow Wow planning and Jim Thorpe’s 5k Dash for Diabetes; the challenges of learning more about other native tribes; the Transforming Columbus Day event in collaboration with the 4Cs; interacting and collaborating with other cultural centers; the addition of “Eena Haws” to the Longhouse name; her hope to bring back the “Calling All Natives” outreach event; advice for future staff; the effect of racism on her grandfather; the Longhouse impact on her as a Native student; negative comments from non-natives; her suggestions to get more exposure for NAL; her experience as an informal advocate for natives, and her wish for NAL and NASA to collaborate more.

Mariah Huhndorf, Activities Coordinator      

Interview Transcript and Interview Audio

Brief Biography:
Mariah was born November 13, 1991, in Anchorage, Alaska. Her hometown is Kenai, Alaska. At the time of the interview she was a junior studying General Science: Pre-Physician Assistant.

Interview Information:
Date: May 30, 2013
Location: Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse
Length: 00:27:46
Interviewer: Natchee Barnd
Transcriber: Desiree Gorham

Interview Description:
Mariah, a native Alaskan with an Athabaskan mother and Yupik father, describes her experiences at Oregon State University, both as a student and as an Activities Coordinator at the Native American Longhouse. She discusses Longhouse events, such as the Alaska Winter Games, which she coordinated; the challenges and solutions that NAL staff have experienced with communication; her suggestions that staff learn more about events hosted at the NAL by other groups and work to make it clear that the NAL welcomes all visitors, native or not; what the new Longhouse means to her; how OSU and the NAL have affected her own identity as a native Alaskan; the importance of sharing stories and the “culture shock” she felt coming to Corvallis, with a population of about 54,700, from her hometown of Kenai, Alaska, with a population of about 7,000.

Matt Williams, Internal Coordinator     

Interview Transcript and Interview Audio

Brief Biography:
Matt was born January 05, 1992, in Roseburg, Oregon. His hometown is Winston, Oregon. At the time of the interview he was a junior studying Exercise and Sport Science.

Interview Information:
Date: May 30, 2013
Location: Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse
Length: 00:40:47
Interviewer: Natchee Barnd
Transcriber: Hope Ervin-Murillo

Interview Description:
Matt Williams, a Native American with Oglala Sioux, Cherokee and Osage heritage, discusses his experiences as a student, a Native American, and a staff member at the Native American Longhouse (NAL). His discussions include his responsibilities, experiences, and personal growth as an NAL office assistant, activities coordinator and internal coordinator; the importance of teaching about native traditions; the Indigenous Feast at the end of Heritage Month; the Jackson family from Warm Springs Reservation; the challenges of managing time as a working student; NAL collaborations with various OSU departments and his desire for relationships with more departments; Dr. Robert Thompson’s talk about Native American and African American relations during the Civil War; his suggestions for future events and visits to native high schoolers; advice to future coordinators; the challenges of letting non-natives know they can use the NAL; his father’s adoption away from the Pine Ridge Reservation where he was born and subsequent separation from his culture; the N7 program and importance of basketball on many native reservations; stereotypes about Native Americans, and his experience of being mixed native and having a white mother.

Tyler Hogan, External Coordinator                 

Interview Transcript and Interview Audio

Brief Biography:
Tyler was born July 9, 1989, in Belleview, Washington. His hometown is Junction City, Oregon. At the time of the interview he was a senior studying Political Science.

Interview Information:
Date: June 3, 2013
Location: Oregon State University’s Native American Longhouse
Length: 00:36:09
Interviewer: Natalia Fernández
Transcriber: Anna Brecheisen & Johnathan Ngo

Interview Description:
Tyler, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, talks about his responsibilities and growth as an External Coordinator at the Native American Longhouse (NAL), where he was previously a volunteer, as well as his experiences as a Native American student at OSU. His discussions include the importance of the Salmon Bake event; the NAL’s relationships with nearby tribes and his desire to have more tribal outreach; Heritage Month events, including the Two-Spirit event and tribal resource kit; the difficulty of getting out a unified message when the NAL staff are from so many different cultures; the gathering of student input during the planning stages of the new Longhouse; what the new Longhouse means to him; his advice to future coordinators; how resilient, passionate, and empowered Native Americans are, especially when given the opportunity; the three functions of the Longhouse; the Longhouse as a “home away from home” for native students; the effect of the Longhouse on OSU and the local community; the Longhouse’s contribution to personal identity development of staff and visitors; negative comments and stereotypes about Native Americans, and the N7 program’s positive effect on cultural competency.