Michigan State University Native Students Take the Rock

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Currents. Discussion »

Indigenous People's Day Pride

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – The Rock is Michigan State University's own little landmark. Students use it as their own form of advertising and a point of pride. It has been re-painted every day for decades! Students must go and sit at the rock at 4 pm the day before, paint it around midnight, and camp out all night to make sure no one will paint over theirs.

On Sunday, American Indian students staked out the Rock so that they could "take it" for Indigenous People's Day… in protest to Columbus Day.

“We love it! So, the North American Indigenous Student Organization painted it in protest of Columbus Day and in celebration of Indigenous People's Day,”

commented Michigan State University Student Jessica Rivard, a junior who is a Kinesiology major.

About 20 participants took turns painting the Rock. A little more than half were Michigan State University students, according to Rivard.

Southern Straight, an American Indian drum group lent support to show support of Indigenous People's Day.

No word on which student group painted the Rock overnight, which concluded Indigenous People's Day on Michigan State University's campus.

posted October 9, 2012 7:20 am edt