I would like to briefly express my thoughts about November being nationally recognized as Native American Heritage Month. It is critically important for all folks to educate themselves about Native American heritage and the history of the land on which they reside. However, this should be an ongoing process of learning for everyone and cannot be captured within a single month annually. 
 
Native people are complex and have a longstanding history of erasure and assimilation. While Native people may have similar or shared experiences, the Indigenous and Native identity is vastly diverse and expands across a variety of tribal cultures. Native identities and cultures are constantly transforming and adapting and there is no one way to be Native American. The diversity of the Native community means that there are conflicting ideas and understandings of what it means to be Indigenous. Not all Native American people identify as Native American, and some prefer to identify with their tribe and/or clan. Many folks consider the Native American identity as a violent product of Indigenous erasure in the United States. These are complexities that everyone should be aware of, given that the United States sits on Native land. Most importantly, Native American people are not a monolith. With that being said, my perspective does not represent all Native folks at UC Berkeley. 
 
Aanii, Madelaine ind-izhinikaaz. Maang nindoodem. (Hello, my name is Madelaine. My clan is Loon).
 
I am Anishinaabe and Dutch. I am a descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians and the Ste. Saint Marie Band of Chippewa Indians. I take great pride in the ancestors who resiliently walked before me. My ancestral homelands are in the Great Lakes region, specifically Northern Michigan. Currently, Endbridge's Pipeline 5 - a major oil pipeline - runs through the Straits of Mackinac, the water straits between mainland Michigan and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. These waters are critical for the Anishinaabe people that continue to live in the region and are home to Ojibwe cultural sites. This issue is specifically impactful for me as most of my tribal relatives continue to live in this region. Right now, Endbridge's Pipeline 5 is threatening our cultural ways of living and it threatens to diminish our legal rights allotted through treaties. 
 
If you are reading this, I strongly encourage you to take time to learn about Native American and Indigenous heritage. Make sure you know which tribe's land you are currently living on and that you are aware of the history and current issues that face Indigenous people in the United States. 
 
Most importantly, I urge you to all stand up against Line 5. This is not the only pipeline to threaten Indigenous lifeways, but is extremely pertinent to my own tribe's and family's livelihood.

Madelaine van der Ploeg is a junior at UC Berkeley majoring in Legal Studies and Global Studies.