Appalachian student new site reporter Thais Zboichyk recently posted about an April 7 event that brought together 80 students, faculty, and staff members at Appalachian State University. Courageous Conversations: Indigenous Experiences, was a cultural event and panel discussion co-hosted by the Walker College of Business and the Student American Indian Movement.
The panelists at the event included Spanish major Cierra Bell, senior history major Connor McCoy, senior exercise science major Cember Beilhartz, and senior supply chain management major Ann Marie Bleakley. They represented four different tribes: the Lumbee Nation from North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from North Carolina, the Muscogee Creek Nation from Oklahoma, and the Aleut Tribe from Alaska, respectively.
Topics discussed included the economy of the tribes, opportunities and challenges of being an Indigenous student, why the panelists chose App State, and how the panelists plan on using their degrees within their communities.
“We’re trying to grow [the Student American Indian Movement] and do events and other things to spread awareness and to let other Native kids know that they have a community, they have a support system,” Beilhartz said. “We really want everyone to come to college and have that experience and not feel like they can’t because they don’t want to leave home and won’t have anybody.”
Read the full article on the Appalachian's site, https://theappalachianonline.com/student-american-indian-movement-app-state
About Courageous Conversations
By encouraging social sustainability in curricular and co-curricular activities, the Walker College of Business prepares students to become responsible leaders who contribute positively to society and help create a more sustainable world. The college aims to provide an inclusive environment, promote community engagement, foster research and innovation, and teach sustainable business practices and ethical leadership. Since 2017, Courageous Conversations has provided a space for meaningful dialogue around the unique challenges faced by individuals from diverse backgrounds, both in the workplace and on their career path, to promote constructive discussion, explore broader perspectives, and develop professional civility.
Courageous Conversations attendees listen to a panel about indigenous experiences in the Parkway Ballroom on April 7.
Photo by Meredith Pipes