November has just been declared American Indian Heritage Month by Gov. Pat McCrory and just in time for the celebration, WCU has kicked off its fifth annual Native American Expo this week.
The three day expo consists of dancers, presentations, stone carving and story telling. The expo also includes a walk through exhibit displaying Native American artifacts, student made art and information.
One event in particular, was a favorite, a poetry slam in the UC Grand Room on Nov. 11.
Students Cara Forbes, Zack Smith, and Sam Fox, members of Intercultural Affairs’ student organization Truth Writers, showcased poems written by themselves and others. The themes of the poems were centered on the joys and struggles in the Native American community and in everyday life such as personal identity, love for the mountains and social injustice.
“Personal perception and motivation make others see problems that need to be fixed,” said Zack Smith, a member of the Truth writers.
All three students participate in poetry slams often and are English majors who believe that poetry is a way of expressing emotion and getting a point across to their audiences.
” If you really like a line, don’t be afraid to stomp your feet, yell or snap,” Sam Fox told the audience.” Sometimes these slams get crazy because people get excited and like what they hear.”
Check out the video below for clips of all three speakers.
Kayla Godfrey contributed to the story.
