By Belle Mae Williams ’26

Who am I?

Hi, my name is Belle Mae Williams (she/her) and I’m a junior! I’m studying Philosophy and Chinese with a concentration in International Relations. While growing up, I experienced different traditions that have all intertwined to create the person I am today. I’m an Indigenous person – Oneida enrolled and a Menominee descendant. So, when Professor Thompson encouraged me to consider applying to be an interfaith fellow, I knew that I had to investigate more. Also, in her message to me, she explained how my role might be best suited to focus on Indigenous topics in the role, including working on the Why Treaties Matter exhibit that would be coming to campus in the fall. I want to share more about the process of the planning of the opening exhibit and what’s to come for Indigeneity at St. Olaf. 

What was the process? 

I applied for and was accepted to be an Interfaith Fellow for the 2024-2025 year. Soon after the school year began l started to do research on the Dakota and Ojibwe Nations by exploring the Why Treaties Matter virtual exhibit and educator guides. These resources granted me the background to truly understand the treaties that paved the way for the world as we know it to be. More importantly, this research helped me acknowledge the major influence that treaties have on all of us. What I found most helpful about the research was the exhibit’s focus on the Dakota and Ojibwe Nation’s intense connection to the land. 

For example, Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island (North America) have always looked at land as more than property. Instead, the bond with the land and the Dakota and Ojibwe Nation’s relationship with their homeland is rooted in culture, which includes a formidable force that we are all connected to everything around us. This powerful connection establishes a Nation’s sovereignty in their homelands by creating a responsibility to take care of the land, and to maintain balance throughout the Earth. 

Next, I spent time reflecting on what the launch of the exhibit would look like. Should there be a video playing to explain mitakuye owasin (all of my relations) or a video from the Why Treaties Matter exhibit? Lutheran Center staff and I landed on having guest speakers. From there it was pretty easy to have an idea as to what the opening was going to look like. I immediately thought of alumna, Sophia Stout, who was influential in creating spaces for Indigeneity on campus, along with Martin Olague (Director of the Taylor Center) Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha (Visiting Instructor in Theater) and Eduardo Pazos (St. Olaf’s Vice President for Community and Belonging). 

Within the blink of an eye, the day of the opening arrived. As someone who has never emceed an event before, I was nervously excited for what was to come. I was overcome with excitement when I realized how many people had come to hear the opening exhibit. There were members from the Ojibwe Nation, such as Dr. Larry Martin, whose presence was very much appreciated, as well as members from the St. Olaf community, including my St. Olaf women’s golf teammates. Most notably, my parents were in attendance. Also, my dad heard my speech beforehand and gave great insight into what I really needed to say, giving me words about the connection between the exhibit and the ongoing struggle for honoring treaties within my Reservation community (connections between the Village of Hobart and the 1838 treaty rights of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin). 

What really stood out to me was how powerful all of the speakers’ speeches were. Sophia Stout gave a heartfelt speech about the work that she and IPO (Indigenous Peoples Organization) have done to push forward Indigenous relevant growth at St. Olaf. Professor Pillatzki-Warzeha’s speech included a poem reading from “38” which is about the Dakota 38 who were executed under the order of President Lincoln. What’s more is that the poem highlights the implications of broken treaties. With great strength in her voice she read: “Without money, store credit, or rights to hunt beyond their ten-mile tract of land, Dakota people began to starve. The Dakota people began to starve. The Dakota people starved. In the preceding sentence, the world ‘starved’ does not need italics for emphasis. One should read ‘the Dakota people starved’ as a straightforward and plainly stated fact.” Although broken, these treaties continue to define Indigenous nations as sovereign. 

Also, what was great about the opening was that Edaurdo Pazos announced during his comments, a new scholarship program for Minnesota Indigenous students. IPO’s council was last to speak as part of the launch in order to connect the past to the present. We were given the opportunity to share that we have a vision proposal to strengthen St. Olaf’s ongoing commitments to Indigenous peoples and communities. 

What’s next? 

St. Olaf has been known to be slow to change and slow to support indigeneity on campus. It took 149 years to get First Nations peoples flags up in Boe Memorial Chapel. And the college has only recently started to have a plan to organize a place for Indigenous students to practice our spirituality. Given this context, the Why Treaties Matter exhibit represented a rare and significant moment for St. Olaf. Concurrently, there is the new affordability agreement for Indigenous students. Looking to the future, IPO plans to work in alignment with administration to launch a new chapter for Indigenous people on campus. That being the case, new developments continue to emerge that suggest a more Indigenous-relevant hopeful chapter for St. Olaf College.

The opening was noteworthy for featuring four different Indigenous languages (Oneida, Tongva, Dakota, and Ojibwemowin) which is a testament to a new chapter within our community. This kind of event is critical for making actual progress toward the goals outlined in St. Olaf’s land acknowledgment. It also encouraged connections across campus by creating a space where Indigenous voices could be heard and celebrated. For me, it was a powerful opportunity to be recognized.