Concert Clashes with Mother's Day Powwow
A picture from last year’s Mothers Day Powwow - Sourced from NASU Instagram
ASUO Faces Backlash Over Concert Scheduling Clash with NASU's Mother's Day Powwow
ASUO Accused of Cultural Insensitivity and Budgetary Neglect. Last year, ASUO allocated $252,000 for the concert, while this year's concert budget has increased to $350,000. In contrast, NASU received only $675 for events outside the Mother's Day Powwow… ASUO then scheduled a concert on the same day as the Powwow.
After a controversial move, the University of Oregon's Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) is under fire for a decision made last October to schedule this year's spring concert on the same date as the Native American Student Union's (NASU) annual Mother's Day Powwow for the second consecutive year. The clash has prompted a planned sit-in at the ASUO Senate meeting on Wednesday, March 13th, at 7 pm in the EMU Crater Lake Room.
NASU, a vital cultural organization for indigenous students, considers the Mother's Day Powwow as the most significant indigenous cultural event of the year on campus. The event is scheduled for May 10th and 11th, with the ASUO concert on May 10th. The decision to hold the concert on the same day has been labeled "direct harm" by NASU, sparking plans to "Pack the Senate" during the upcoming protest.
This scheduling conflict has shed light on ASUO's historical negligence towards NASU, evident over “50 years of budget cuts,” according to NASU Instagram and several members. Despite NASU's ongoing fight for budget approval, ASUO has consistently defunded the organization, impacting crucial programs such as the Indigenous Women’s Wellness program and the Mother’s Day Powwow, the longest-running student-led Powwow in Oregon.
On October 9th, 2023, ASUO endorsed a fresh spring concert for 2024, seeking a significant $350,000 from the surplus. This represents a noteworthy escalation from the financial allocation of the preceding year's concert, raising concerns about potential shortcomings in ASUO's financial transparency and responsible budgeting practices.
Furthermore, ASUO's participation in the Shout Competition has become a conduit for expressing discontent. GrrlBand, initially part of the competition, opted to withdraw, citing the scheduling clash with NASU's Mother's Day Powwow as the primary reason. This decision highlights the broader implications of ASUO's choices on on-campus events and cultural representation.
In a powerful act of student solidarity, GrrlBand addressed the conflict, stating, "Amidst the scheduling conflict of the [NASU] 56th Annual Mother's Day Powwow, we have chosen to remove ourselves from the online voting segment of The ASUO Shout Competition. Our decision reflects our commitment to uplifting indigenous voices on U of O's campus and in the greater Eugene community. As a band, dedicated to creating safe spaces and promoting equity and inclusion, this choice aligns with our values. We appreciate the opportunity provided to us and extend our best wishes to the remaining bands, as we thoroughly enjoyed performing together at WOW Hall."
Their statements serve as an example to all of us to stand by our values as a student body, even when ASUO may not.
Contributing to the contentious atmosphere is the origin of funding for the spring concert. ASUO's surplus fund, totaling $1.07 million, was initially established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous cultural organizations faced challenges in meeting attendance requirements, leading to the redistribution of their funding. Rather than returning these funds to the impacted students, ASUO allocated them to the concert, prompting inquiries into the hierarchy of cultural organizations' necessities. The financing of the concert also prompts significant inquiries, given the recent and ongoing budget reductions experienced by NASU.
Last year, during the ASUO budget deliberations, NASU faced a substantial budget cut. The cut amounted to a significant reduction in funding for NASU's crucial programs and events.
The primary reason behind the budget cut was NASU's failure to meet the November budget submission deadline, a crucial timeline in ASUO's budgeting process. NASU leaders explained that their challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including disruptions and leadership transitions, contributed to their inability to meet the deadlines.
Due to NASU's delayed budget submission, the Programs Finance Committee (PFC) decided to cut the budgets of organizations that missed the November deadline by 50%. This decision, spearheaded by the previous PFC chair, Jon Laus, aimed to maintain consistency in enforcing deadlines and ensure fairness across all student organizations.
Despite the subsequent partial approval of NASU's budget in January, the funding allocated to other line items besides the Mother's Day Powwow amounted to a mere $675. This left NASU with limited financial resources to support its mission and programs.
As the situation unfolds, it raises critical questions about ASUO's commitment to diversity, cultural sensitivity, and responsible financial management. The sit-in protest is a powerful reminder that student organizations must be heard and respected, especially when their cultural heritage and events are at stake. The outcome of the protest may shape future interactions between ASUO and indigenous student groups, determining whether the university truly prioritizes inclusivity and representation in its decision-making processes.
