UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day with "The Joyfull: Feast Edition" at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 in Alumni Hall, HUB-Robeson Center. The free collaborative event will feature food, entertainment and conversation about modern Indigenous representation.
Jacinta Garcia, community support and belonging specialist at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, explained the importance of this year’s theme, “Indigenous People in the Modern World.”
“So often, we are typically represented in the past, the buckskin, the feathers, the more traditional pieces,” Garcia said. “It's really important to us to showcase what Native People are doing now.”
With the theme in mind, the Indigenous Peoples’ Student Association selected Stuart James as a musical artist for the event. James is a Dakota Sioux rapper, songwriter and producer from the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota.
James uses his music as a form of storytelling about common experiences in the Indigenous community, taking inspiration from artists like J. Cole, Nas and Red Hot Chili Peppers. James said his song “Speak For” reflects his inspiration from J. Cole and dives into his perspective on social issues on the reservation.
“I really go into my perspective and how I view some of the social issues on the reservation,” James said. “It’s not so much to say I’m speaking and telling their story for them; this song is for those people who feel like they don’t have a voice or feel like they don’t know how to express themselves.”
Growing up, James said he would spend time at his grandmother’s house watching a DVD performance of the Indigenous comedy duo, James and Ernie Comedy, who will also be performing at the Joyfull event.
“Seeing them kind of inspired me to understand that I have that capability to be on the same type of stages,” James said. “It's just a full-circle moment for me to be there performing with them, as well, so I'm very excited for that.”
Garcia said he hopes that this event inspires attendees to not only follow the artists featured, but to explore and support up-and-coming Indigenous artists across “Turtle Island,” a traditional term some tribes use for the North American continent.
“Whether it's artists that are now in comedy, in hip hop, in all of these different avenues that our students want to get into, it's really important to see them represented there,” Garcia said. “It's super-important for the Penn State community to see us as we are today.”
Along with the artists, the "Feast" aspect of the event is also intentionally designed to represent current students. According to Garcia, because there is a large Navajo presence within the Penn State Indigenous student population, the menu will feature blue corn mush along with bison meatballs.
The meal will also have wild rice, a staple of the Ojibwe and Three Fires Nation; and strawberries, which are important to all nations, but specifically the creation stories of the nations across the North and Northeast.
Laenee McCoy, IPSA’s treasurer, said the opportunity to try new foods and recipes from different cultures leaves an impact on the broader Penn State community.
“I know that as an ally I hadn’t heard of or tried some of the dishes we have had in past years, so it was really cool to try them and learn more about the traditions behind them,” McCoy said. “IPSA has put a lot of work into creating opportunities for Indigenous culture to thrive and be seen, so I hope people take advantage of everything the events throughout the day have to offer.”
"The Joyfull: Feast Edition" will be hosted in partnership with the Indigenous Peoples Faculty/Staff and Student Alliances, Paul Robeson Cultural Center, Penn State Student Affairs and the Center for the Performing Arts.
“We could not do it without our partners,” Garcia said. “Our partnerships, our allies are absolutely key to ensuring that our very small group — because we are so underrepresented — that the message gets out, that we’re supported, that we’re projecting that message outward to the entire university, but also the State College community as well.”
Visit "The Joyfull: The Feast" for more information and to register.
Editor's note: Beyla Holbrook, majoring in public relations, class of 2027, is a marketing communications intern at the Center for the Performing Arts.