Since its founding, Hamilton College has had a complex relationship with its Native American neighbors. Attempts to improve relations have not always been productive, but in recent years, efforts have been made to ac- knowledge the deep ties that Hamilton College has to the Oneida and other neighboring Native American nations. The Shenandoah-Kirkland Initiative, or SKI, has led the drive to strengthen these ties. Simply put, SKI’s goal is to bring Hamilton students together with members of local Native American nations. The group was recognized for its success in working to realize this goal by being named the College’s 2017–2018 Organization of the Year.
SKI was founded in 2016 and has hosted and attended several events with members of local Native nations. Most recently, members of SKI attended the Akwesasne International Pow-Wow
(AIP) in Cornwall Island, Ontario, on Sept. 9 and 10. This pow-wow is an annual event for the Native American nations of Upstate New York and Ontario. It is attended by several tribes and nations in the region as well as by many non-native observers. According to AIP’s website, the Akwesasne’s hope is that “this time spent together will bring us to a better understanding of one another and foster a strong bond of peace and friendship with our neighbors of all cultures.” The festival features open displays of Akwesasne culture through arts and crafts, music, singing, food, and dance.
This was the second year that a Hamilton group made the three-hour trip to the landmark cultural occasion. According to Jeff McArn, SKI’s faculty advisor and the College Chaplain, Hamilton students were able to “observe cultural singing and dancing as well as a dimension of spiritual expression.” David Gagnidze ’20, SKI’s president, said, “It was a great way to expose everyone to [Akwesasne] culture […] it was such a great experience because you could get everything at once.” For some members of SKI, it was the first interaction they had with Native American culture. SKI’s hope is that in the future they will be able to bring more students to pow-wows like these as it attempts to establish a connection between the student body and Native American tribes in the region.
SKI’s most prominent connection to the Native American community with the Oneida Nation, whose ancestral land is the site of the College. Since the organization’s founding, members of SKI have been attending monthly Oneida community gatherings, which are just a 20-minute drive away. During these events, traditional social dances and intermingling occur, and other traditions are shared. In order to reach more students, SKI invited members of the Oneida community to host one of these gatherings at Hamilton College. The first of such event occurred in January 2018, and the second will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6.
The event will be similar to the events the Oneida people host on their own reservation. SKI hopes that by bringing the Oneidas to campus, students will be able to better understand their culture and create meaningful connection. Ac- cording to Gagnidze, “One of our goals is to raise awareness for the Oneida nation […] to try to have community participation with them.” He adds that the event will feature “six dancers who come in full regalia […] a Native rapper named Daygots […] and 30–35 other members of the Oneida nation.”
The performance is open to the entire Hamilton community and all who come will have the opportunity to participate in an Oneida social dance, enjoy a free dinner, and mingle with members of the Oneida Nation. McArn, Gagnidze, and the rest of SKI hope that events, performances, and pow-wows both at Hamilton and on Native American reservations will continue to connect the Native American and student communities and facilitate a deeper understanding between the two.
