![\"Debbie](\"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DSC_1392-300x239.jpg\" "\\"Debbie")
The Native American Cultural Club hosted its First Nations Festival in Building 8 on Nov. 2, 9 and 10.\u00a0 Club member Michael McBride said this festival might be the club\u2019s last due to low club membership and a retiring advisor.<\/p>\nThe Native American Cultural Club hosted its First Nations Festival in Building 8 on Nov. 2, 9 and 10.\u00a0 Club member Michael McBride said this festival might be the club\u2019s last due to low club membership and a retiring advisor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to keep the club going, I\u2019d like to keep the festivals going, but (that\u2019s) the future,\u201d McBride said.\u00a0 \u201cI just don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are 129 American Indian students registered for the fall quarter, which makes up 0.51 percent of the student population, according to Sinclair\u2019s Office of Research and Analytics Reporting.\u00a0 However, not very many of them are involved in the club, according to McBride.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just can\u2019t get any youth to carry on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sinclair Community College student Alesia Merris said she thought the festival was interesting, but some of the background noise of the student activity center was disruptive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they need a better place to have it (the festival)\u2026It\u2019d be nice if it was in the library,\u201d Merris said.<\/p>\n
Professor Jim Brooks, the club\u2019s advisor, said he is retiring after the winter quarter.\u00a0 He said the continuation of the festival depends on who becomes the new advisor and what students in the club want to do.\u00a0 Brooks became the club\u2019s advisor ten years ago when the previous advisor retired.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way (the club is) written, it\u2019s really educational and increase(s) awareness about Native American issues (like) art, music (and) culture,\u201d Brooks said.<\/p>\n
![\"Student](\"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/DSC_1240-300x199.jpg\" "\\"Student")
One of the ways the club tries to increase awareness is to have information available about cultural issues such as the use of Native Americans as sports mascots and the focus of Columbus Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a student sees that (information), he may feel that it\u2019s not an important thing, that it\u2019s trivial, or \u2018What\u2019s the big deal?\u2019\u201d Brooks said. \u00a0\u201cWhat our handouts try point out is, \u2018Well, look at it from the Native American\u2019s point of view.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Brooks and McBride think that diversity is something that students should be more aware of.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you sit down and listen with another culture, you just made yourself a better person because now you know about that other culture so you have more understanding,\u201d McBride said.<\/p>\n
Brooks adds that Sinclair provides many chances for students to learn about diversity, and more people need to take advantage of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s really a good opportunity to interact with lots of different kinds of people at Sinclair, if people take the time to do it,\u201d Brooks said.<\/p>\n