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APRil 8, 2013
MONday
Male & female athletes of the month featured on pages 4-5
MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013
WWW.DAILYAZTEC.COM
VOLUME 99, ISSUE 96
Dancers embrace culture during powwow
campus J. Hutton Marshall Managing Editor
On the final weekend of spring break, a sizable crowd overtook San Diego State’s Exercise and Nutritional Sciences 700, the field south of the music building, transforming it into something far from the ordinary: a Native American powwow. Put on by SDSU’s Native American Student Alliance, the 42nd annual Iipay Tipay Mateyum Powwow and Bird Singing Gathering displayed rich tradition and a cultural diversity within the Native American tribes that came from far and wide to attend the event. The traditional powwow usually consists of music and dancing, each steeped in tradition and characterized by elaborate regalia—outfits so detailed, they tell stories on their own. Music comes from a pounding, singing drum circle that plays for hours on end. Because of the intricacy of both the dancing and the outfits worn by the dancers, only a handful of crowd members actually participate. “It’s always a renewal of the tribes—when they all get together you have people from all over the United States, tribal people and dances,” American Indian studies professor Richard Carrico said. “So for me, as a professor, it’s one thing to teach it, it’s another thing to live it.” The two-day event featured a conventional powwow on Saturday, complete with traditional dances; stands selling homemade jewelry, crafts and artwork; and fry bread—a Native American dish created to efficiently stretch the rations given to reservations by the U.S. government. Powwows are open to anyone interested in learning Native Ameri-
Chances are, stupid drunken decisions will never be a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t do all it can to make them few and far between. The performers move to a Kumeyaay dance Saturday afternoon. The powwow showcased many different dance styles from the Great Plains region as well as hosted a Bird Gathering on Sunday.
can culture. While the atmosphere was relaxed and social, the benefit of having this year’s powwow in a place as visible and accessible as SDSU’s ENS 700 allowed NASA to attract a crowd that may have been previously unaware of traditional Native American culture and customs. Carrico said raising cultural awareness is a key part of powwows, especially in a place such as SDSU. Carrico said that compared to 30 years ago, while the average San Diegan is more aware of the city’s Native American population of approximately 40,000, people still tend to relate Native Americans with casinos. These powwows allow for exposure for some of the more personal and traditional aspects of Native American life. “It’s one thing for Native Ameri-
cans to show that they’re still here—that they’re not just here as casinos,” Carrico said. SDSU social work senior Alicia Magallanes and her husband, an SDSU alumnus, Zeek, attend several powwows each year to experience the rich traditions found in the dancing and regalia. Magallanes volunteered this weekend to assist with the event’s setup, an opportunity she received through an American Indian studies course at SDSU. “I really enjoy seeing all the different cultural groups come out,” Zeek said. “I studied anthropology here at SDSU, so it’s really important to me to see diversity, and to see that they want to expose the larger population to that. So I think there’s just a lack of awareness of the Native American cultural situation and history—at least see some-
j. hutton marshall , managing editor
thing of it.” As for those who enjoy the social aspect of powwows, Shiigo Yellowhorse, who traveled from Los Angeles for the gathering, has been dancing at powwows since he could walk. At 18 years old, Yellowhorse is this year’s head man—an esteemed position at the powwow. He practices the symbolic men’s chicken dance at powwows. “There’s a lot of versions behind it, but the story I’m told is that it’s a mating dance,” Yellowhorse said. “When you’re dancing, you’re supposed to attract the hen. So, you’re out in the prairie field, showing off your moves and stuff, trying to attract the hen.”
POWWOW continued on page 2
U.S. closely analyzes North Korean threats
international Tara Millspaugh News Editor
“Volumes and volumes of artillery fire and surface to surface missiles” would be directed straight at South Koreans if North Korea decided to attack, retired Maj. Gen. James Marks illustrated to CNN as the most likely plan of attack.
Despite its recent threats, North Korea does not yet have much of a nuclear arsenal... siegfried hecker
Nuclear Scientist
The Washington Post recently posted a music video released by North Korea this past week. The music video displays a slide show of pictures and video clips pertaining to the strength of the militia, historic war memori-
als, Soviet-style propaganda and scenes which render a feeling of victory. The title of the video is “Let’s Defend General Kim Jong Un at the Cost of Our Lives” or, because there is no direct Koreanto-English translation, “We Will Safeguard General Kim Jong Un With Our Very lives.” North Korea has the means to create nuclear weapons, but according to nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker, North Korean scientists would need more bomb fuel and lack the resources. “Despite its recent threats, North Korea does not yet have much of a nuclear arsenal bekcna / xinhua / zuma press /mct cause it lacks fissile materials and This photo released by the Korean Central News Agency shows Kim Jong Un signing an order to put rockets on standby. has limited nuclear testing experience,” Hecker said. “Speculation about a launch a visit by the U.S. Secretary of South Korean military sources centers on mid-April, last April State,” according to NBC News. say North Korea has moved two 11 Kim Jong-un came to power, Secretary of State John Kerry missiles to its east coast, but it re- and April 15 is the 101th birthday is going to visit South Korea in mains unclear whether or not it’s of the late Kim Il-sung, North Ko- hopes of diffusing the conflict. actually armed. rea’s founder and Kim Jong-un’s As of now, the visit is still schedNBC News chief foreign cor- grandfather. Last April, Pyong- uled, but foreign diplomats visitrespondent Richard Engel said yang tried to launch a satellite, ing North Korea’s capital, PyongApril may be the month when but it crashed into the sea… the yang, should have evacuation North Korea decides to attack. timing would also coincide with plans ready.
CAMPUS continued on page 7
Love Guru’s advice for blooming spring love
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS continued on pg. 3
Spring Fever featured on page 3