Written by Casey Kuman

Concordia University Chicago celebrated Native American Heritage month by having Native Aztec dancers from Chicago come in to teach students and faculty certain tribe dances. They arrived on campus on November 6th, 2018, in the Cougar Den from 2-3:30 PM.

Every dancer is a Native Aztec and Blanca Gutierrez planned this event in mid-August. She spoke to a woman named Susanna who is the founder of Aztec Dance Chicago. She wanted to plan a specific day for them to come in and perform on our campus.

“Every tribe has their own style of dancing, along with distinct music and songs, but just like with anything else, dance music, and song styles vary from person to person,” said Gutierrez.

There is a 0.2% population of students that identify as being a Native American at CUC. Native Americans mostly need to reach out to their tribal leaders to inquire about scholarships for college. They can be available in their own tribes. The style for Native Americans has changed from day to day.

“Most Native Americans regalia is not typically worn as daily clothing. This type of dress is used only during cultural, religious ceremonies, and competitions,” stated Gutierrez.

Native Americans have a unique culture that many people can learn about. This was CUC’s first year inviting the Aztec Dance Chicago to perform on campus and the event was very successful.