This November, the stage at Very Little Theatre’s Stage Left will come alive with BlueJay’s Canoe, a poignant and humorous play by Professor Emerita Theresa May and Elder-in-Residence Marta Lu Clifford (Chinook, Cree, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde). Running from November 7 to 23, the production tells the story of two contemporary Indigenous families navigating life, loss, and legacy. Through laughter and healing, the play explores the transformative power of storytelling—what the Heron character calls “sometimes stories save your life.” This sentiment is not just poetic; it’s profoundly true for many Native communities whose histories, identities, and futures are deeply rooted in oral traditions and cultural narratives.
As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, BlueJay’s Canoe offers a timely and powerful lens through which to reflect on the resilience and innovation of Indigenous peoples. The play reminds us that stories are not merely entertainment—they are vessels of survival, resistance, and connection. They carry ancestral knowledge, affirm identity, and offer pathways to healing from historical and ongoing injustices.
At the University of Oregon, Native American Heritage Month is more than a calendar observance—it’s a call to honor the land, the people, and the stories that shape our shared history. The university sits on Kalapuya Ilihi, the original homeland of the Kalapuya people. Acknowledging this through formal land acknowledgments is one way the institution recognizes that Indigenous presence is not a relic of the past but a powerful, living and evolving reality.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Native American Advisory Council, led by AVP Dr. Jason Younker, Chief of the Coquille Indian Nation. The Council includes leaders from Oregon’s nine tribal governments and President Scholz, reflecting a commitment to collaborative governance and cultural respect. Through the brilliant work of faculty, staff, students, allies and the tribes, the 30th anniversary commemoration included milestones such as the founding of the Northwest Indian Language Institute (1996), the Sapsik’ʷałá Teacher Education Program (2002), the Home Flight Scholars Program (2022) and the installation of Oregon’s nine tribal flags at the EMU (2014). These achievements are not just institutional—they are deeply personal for the students, faculty, and community members who worked tirelessly to make them possible.
The Native American Student Union, established nearly fifty years ago, continues to be a vibrant force on campus. Its vision helped bring to life the Many Nations Longhouse, which today serves as both a gathering space and a symbolic embassy for tribal governments. Our Native and Indigenous Studies program proudly teaches Yakima Ichishkíin/Sahaptin and Chinuk Wawa—a testament to the importance of language preservation as cultural survival. Professor Michelle Jacob, through her Auntie Way Writing Retreats and Anahuy Mentoring professional development workshops, is bringing Indigenous Methodologies into our academy, in her words, “to encompass Indigenous ways of knowing and being, especially as shared through stories, to inspire hope and love.”
Native American Heritage Month is also a time to engage with the broader community. Events like Culture & Community Nights, Native Engagement Time, Home Flight Community Hours and monthly Native American Arts & Crafts Markets foster connection and celebration.As we lean into this month of reflection and celebration, let us remember that honoring Native American heritage is not confined to November. It is a year-round commitment to visibility, equity, and respect. Whether through attending a play, supporting the preservation of tribal languages, businesses and organizations, respecting Native governments and existing Treaties, or simply listening to the stories of lived experience, we each have a role to play in amplifying Indigenous voices.
In the words of the Heron, “sometimes stories save your life.” This Native American Heritage Month, may we all be open to the stories that heal, inspire, and transform