Native American group added to UMC

Six Directions, the University's Native American student group, recently received recognition as an official member of the United Minorities Council. UMC Chairperson and College senior Jun Bang said Six Directions President DesireZ Martinez approached her last month about making a membership proposal to the UMC board. And although the UMC's constitution is currently under review, this state of moratorium was temporarily suspended to allow for the admission of Six Directions. Bang said members of Six Directions explained their reasons for wanting to join the UMC to the Council at its meeting on Feb. 2. After a period of discussion by Council members, the resolution on admission for Six Directions was voted on and passed. "It's wonderful that they have joined [the UMC]," Bang said last night. "I think they can contribute things other groups do not have, namely the Native American culture. Their small size doesn't make a difference." Martinez, a College junior, echoed Bang's sentiments. She said Six Directions currently has 11 members. There are only 17 Native American students enrolled at the University. While Martinez has roots in the Gabrieli-o tribe, other members of Six Directions are Seneca, Navajo, and native Hawaiian. "Basically, Six Directions started out of a focus group initiated by the Greenfield Intercultural Center in the fall of 1992," Martinez said. "We asked ourselves what needed to be done in relation to Native American student issues and education [on campus]." By the early fall of 1993, the group had written a constitution and secured a charter. Six Directions appealed to the Student Activities Committee for funding in December. It hopes to use the money it was awarded for a Native American crafts fair in April, and a movie-lecture discussion series planned for the end of this month. Martinez said Six Directions is also hoping to submit a proposal to the Admissions Office before semester's end aimed at increasing the number of Native American applicants and matriculants to the University. "Some of our suggestions will stem from what other Ivy schools with successful Native American recruitment programs, like Dartmouth and Cornell, do," she said. The final step in the recognition process for Six Directions was acceptance by the UMC. "The UMC gives us a great foundation with other minority groups on campus, to have other minority groups back us, help us, give us strength," she said. "I'm really excited and happy, and surprised at how fast everything happened." Bang added that with the admission of Six Directions, the UMC now has 10 members. While there has never been a cap on the number of organizations allowed to join the UMC, Bang said she expects the new executive board elected later this semester will debate the question.

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