I present to you CSULB's proud "Union Weekly":
Please scroll to the bottom to read the "apology" from the editor of the article published today in the Union Weekly including letters from students and alumni who were also offended.
In addition: The Union Weekly states that only the back of their paper is satire. The Union Weekly also receives partial funding by the CSULB Associated Students Inc.
On March 14th, the CSULB Union 49ers Weekly Campus Newspaper published an article on the POW WOW Event which took place the weekend before. Here is the article and photo which graced the weekly newspaper. Please click on it to see a larger version:
Last Sunday, I attended the yearly POW WOW at my university in Long Beach. I brought my husband, my mother, my brother, and our wonderful Caregiver who helps me take care of my family. It is my third year attending this event and I look forward to it. When I first applied to Cal State Long Beach a year ago, I was excited by the prospect of attending a university that was so diverse in its student body. Every day that I come onto the campus, I feel so proud that I was admitted, I whisper to myself "I'm really here!" I have come to feel like it is home away from home.
While enjoying the POW WOW event, I was amazed at the beauty in my fellow Native Americans. I feel very connected to them as a Chicana Feminist who is proud of my own Indigenous ancestry and my African-American ancestry as well. I told my husband, "you know it takes so much time for the people to prepare for the Pow Wow's celebrations, and now the gas is going to go up. How will they make a living if they cannot travel to the POW WOW's?"
Today I feel differently now, I am angry, disgusted.
This is the latest status as of tonight 10:00 p.m. PST
UPDATE (3/20 - 5:10 PM): Earlier today, two members of the American Indian Student Council (AISC) sat down with Kevin O'Brien, the Editor-in-Chief of the Union Weekly and Noah Kelly, the writer of the Pow Wow article in question. An official apology from Noah Kelly has been accepted by AISC. The apology and an explanation from Noah Kelly will be published in this week's issue of the Union Weekly along with a clarification from Kevin O'Brien and Andy Kneis, Managing Editor from the Union Weekly. A page of letters and responses to the article by CSULB students and alumni will also be printed in the issue.
In consideration of further action, AISC will be meeting tomorrow (Monday, March 21) to discuss what we will communicate back to the campus community and the Union Weekly.
AISC would also like to remind the community that threats of violence, mild or extreme in any case are highly discouraged and counterproductive to our current goals. We appreciate your support and the intelligent and civil responses that you all have submitted thus far.
If you are disgusted and as hurt as I am, please help support the CSULB American Indian Student Council by letting those in power know that this is unacceptable in an institution of higher learning. The CSULB Union Weekly has a history of attacking Chican@'s/Latin@'s as well last year at the Chicana/Latina Feminisms Conference.
Here is the initial response from both the CSULB American Indian Student Council and the President of CSULB.
From the CSULB American Indian Student Council:
UPDATE (3/18 - 12:00 PM): As of right now, we are asking everyone to write letters and messages to the campus administration as well as the editors of the newspapers. Please use the following email addresses to contact CSULB President and editors of the Union Weekly:
* F. King Alexander (CSULB President): fkalexan@csulb.edu
* Doug Robinson (CSULB Vice President of Student Services): drobinso@csulb.edu
* Mike Hostetler (CSULB Dean of Students): studentdean@csulb.edu
* Kevin O'Brien (Union Weekly Editor-in-Chief): kevinob.union@gmail.com
* Noah Kelly (Union Weekly Article Author): noah.union@gmail.com
Letter to the President of CSULB from the American Indian Student Council:
To whom it may concern,
On behalf of the American Indian Student Council of California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), this statement is a response to the article published on Monday, March 14, in the Union Weekly at CSULB within their weekly alternative newspaper containing a short review of the 41st Annual Long Beach Pow Wow titled “Pow Wow Wow Yippee Yo Yippy Yay.” In the article, Noah Kelly wrote numerous remarks that have been acknowledged as derogatory, racist, and ignorant towards the American Indian students and the entire community of CSULB. Most notably, the article stated “The entire scene felt disingenuous and cheap.”
After receiving accolades from the community for the largest student-run event on campus, these comments are unfortunate because the American Indian Student Council is proud to continue the traditions and history of the annual CSULB Pow Wow as it would not be possible without the efforts of the American Indian community, CSULB faculty and staff, and CSULB students and their continued gracious and generous support.
After circulating the article to the American Indian community in and around the CSULB campus, many have rightly concluded that the article is racist, bigoted, and void of any cultural accuracy or sensitivity. The article not only disgraces the hard work of the American Indian students, but also the efforts, cultures, and traditions of hundreds of elders, community members, and alumni who participate in the Pow Wow every year.
Furthermore, this article does not meet the journalistic standards of a campus newspaper. It is clear from the face of the article that the author had no real interest in learning about the event he was covering. This shows not only a bias toward the American Indian community, but also shows contempt for the ethics of any responsible journalist. As representatives of a proud campus tradition, the American Indian Student Council feels insulted by the actions permitted by the Union Weekly.
We acknowledge the efforts the University and Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI) have made to create a safe and diverse environment on campus and feel aggrieved on behalf of everyone at CSULB. We also note that this is not the first time the Union Weekly has shown a clear disregard of various marginalized people on campus.
We as American Indian students on the CSULB campus (home of Puvungna, the spiritual village of the Gabrielino-Tongva people and a National Register of Historic Places site), demand that the University and Union Weekly officials condemn the ignorance and racism shown in the article. We also demand that the Union Weekly’s actions be addressed so that bigotry and ignorance will not be promoted again within our student body. Furthermore, we look forward to the University addressing the institutionalized promotions of ignorance, racism, and poor journalism.
If you have any questions or clarifications please contact James Suazo, publicity chair for the American Indian Student Council at publicity@aistudentcouncil.org or Craig Stone, faculty advisor at cstone@csulb.edu.
Sincerely,
American Indian Student Council
California State University, Long Beach
March 17, 2011
Statement from F. King Alexander, President, California State University, Long Beach
This week a student writer for the Union Weekly wrote about the annual Native American Pow Wow held at California State University, Long Beach. The opinions in the article have raised concerns by members of the Native American community and beyond, who consider the article "insensitive," "racist," "disturbing" and "inappropriate."
Cal State Long Beach does not support the insensitivity nor the opinions expressed by the student writer. His article, published in the campus' alternative student newspaper, falls squarely under the protections of freedom of speech and freedom of the press but it represents the writer's opinions alone. Protection of his right to express his opinion cannot be considered to be university support of those opinions.
Cal State Long Beach has hosted the Native American Pow Wow on this campus for more than 35 years. It is a long and revered tradition, one that every year is observed and enjoyed by members of the university as well as the greater Southern California community. This university is one of the nation's most diverse and is recognized for its respect and appreciation for all people and all cultures. The Native American Pow Wow and all of those who participate in it are a proud tradition of Cal State Long Beach. That will not change.
Update: Monday March 21, 2011 Response from Union Weekly