A Native Blessing Marks the UA's Start of a New Year
Aug. 30, 2017
Native American Student Affairs welcomed UA students, faculty and staff to the annual Sunrise Ceremony on the west end of the UA Mall.
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For the past four years at the UA, the Sunrise Ceremony has been an important event for the Native American community.
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Steven Martin , director of Native American Student Affairs, opens the ceremony by introducing Miguel Flores .
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Flores presides over the ceremony as the UA's Karen Francis-Begay, assistant vice president for tribal relations, and Shane Burgess, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, look on.
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Miguel Flores, with Old Main in the background
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Miguel Flores
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Miguel Flores walks the circle of participants, extending a blessing to each of them.
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Miguel Flores is flanked by Donovan Pete, a master's degree student in library and information sciences, and Karen Francis-Begay.
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The UA's Karen Francis-Begay greets those in attendance.
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Miguel Flores speaks to the 60 members of the UA community who attended.
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At the close of the ceremony, participants walk the entire circle, greeting one another.
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Steven Martin embraces Ron Trosper, a Confederated Salish and Kootenai who is a professor in American Indian studies.
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Native American Student Affairs hosted the annual Sunrise Ceremony on Aug. 28 to mark the beginning of a new academic year at the University of Arizona. The ceremony symbolizes spiritual renewal and a new beginning, and it coincides with the rising of the sun, representing a new day and the beginning of life.
Traditional healer Miguel Flores (Tohono O'odham/Pascua Yaqui) conducted the ceremony using burning cedar smoke while praying to the four directions. He then smudged those in attendance by using a ceremonial fan made of eagle feathers. Smudging is a ritual that is said to clear the mind and provide physical and spiritual strength.
For the past four years, the Sunrise Ceremony has been performed on the UA Mall. It has become a valued tradition for the Native American community. Later in the day, Native American Student Affairs joined Asian Pacific American Student Affairs to host an open house in the Nugent Building on campus.
Photos by John de Dios/UANews