Indigenous Sovereignty Honors Native American Heritage Month
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, the Indigenous Scholars Club hosted an Indigenous Sovereignty Fair in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Many vendors and clubs attended the event to showcase and explain their cultures. Speakers also attended to shed some light on Indigenous history.
The Indigenous Scholars Club, led by President Sequoyah Thiessen and Co-President Eva Pilar Diaz, was created to build a bridge between the Indigenous people and their heritage at SMC. Their meetings are held in the HSS building, room 115, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. Members are encouraged to share their stories, struggles and anything else occurring in their lives that they feel compelled to share.
Co-President Eva Pilar DeLisle Diaz, who is CHamoru and Pohnpeian, said, “This event meant so much for me and to Indigenous Scholars Club. For me, as someone who came to Santa Monica College in search of community and now recognizing that this feeling resonates with other Indigenous students on campus, it was a truly beautiful moment. For us, all of NAHM (Native American Heritage Month) at Santa Monica College is more than just a month.” “But representative of a bigger future for the college, where resources and support systems are available for Native American and Indigenous students, opening doors for other students to be supported in their education as well. As a Pacific Islander student, being a part of Indigenous Scholars Club has been such an amazing experience.”
The event included Desirae Barragan, the owner of a small business called Coastal Desires, which started in 2019. She decided to start Coastal Desires in honor of her California Coastal Identity.
Barragan said, “It's such a special and unique business that I have, because not only do I get to share my art in this beautiful jewelry with the world, but I get to share about my culture, talk about history, talk about the intentions and the good medicine that I put into the beadwork that I make.”
Therapist Elizabeth Alberto, a speaker at the fair, is a first generation Oaxacan psychotherapist and founder of Oaxacan Therapy. Alberto recommends everyone go to therapy, saying, “I think it's just a wonderful way to get to know yourself, and to heal, and to be able to have, you know, quality of life and good relationships.”
Oaxacan therapy is similar to regular therapy, but incorporates traditional medicine. Alberto explained her textured stickers which help recenter people with box breathing and ground them when they are entering a fight-or-flight state.
Volunteer Sandra Hale provided Native American Indian Tacos or Navajo Tacos. Navajo tacos are a fried flour tortilla with beans, meat, cheese, nuts, mayo, lettuces, and tomato. Hale said, “My mother, Lucy has been doing Indian fry bread for like, 50 years. And when she taught me — and I have seven brothers and sisters — we all learned how to do it. So since she passed away, we were carrying on in her private booth.”
According to Sandra Hale, Navajo tacos were created when the Navajos were forced to migrate by the U.S. When they were settled, they weren’t given anything other than government commodity foods. Using what they had, they invented fry bread and later turned it into tacos.
The fair featured many more vendors and speakers, making it clear that there is a strong and connected community within the Native American students at SMC, with students being well supported within the community and having access to a growing amount of cultural and educational resources on campus.
For more information on other campus events happening during Native American Heritage month, visit smc.edu/nahm.