Food, culture and connection bring NAIA and HOLA together

Food has a way of bringing people together, opening conversations and creating opportunities to experience cultures beyond our own. On Monday, Nov. 9, Furman’s Native American and Indigenous Peoples Association (NAIA) and Hispanic Organization for Latin American Awareness (HOLA) will do just that, inviting the campus community to celebrate the traditions and connections that make both cultures special.

The organizations will host a food and culture celebration from 6-7 p.m. at the G Pavilion at North Village. The event will feature fry bread prepared by NAIA, taco ingredients prepared by HOLA, music representing both cultures and bracelet-making activities. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to stop by, share a meal and learn something new.

For Meagan White ’27, NAIA’s president, the event offers an opportunity to introduce more people to Native American culture while building connections across campus.

“Food just brings everybody together,” White said. “It’s like the perfect way to get people to know about culture.”

The centerpiece of the meal, fry bread, carries a complicated but important history. White explained that it became part of Native American culture during colonization, when Indigenous people received limited ingredients such as flour to prepare food. Today, fry bread has become a widely recognized food across many Native communities, including White’s Crow tribe in Montana. Its evolution also reflects the cultural exchange that makes the partnership with HOLA especially meaningful.

The two organizations will prepare different elements of the meal, bringing their own traditions and flavors to one table. The collaboration reflects connections between Native American and Hispanic and Latine cultures, including shared experiences and influences that have developed over generations.

The celebration also comes during Native American Heritage Month, a time to recognize the histories, cultures and contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples. For NAIA, the month provides an important opportunity to increase awareness, but White said that work extends throughout the year.

With a small membership and several graduating executive board members, NAIA hopes to grow participation and build a lasting presence at Furman. The organization welcomes Native American and Indigenous students as well as students from other backgrounds who want to learn, participate and support its mission.

“Success looks for us anytime that we can share what the Native American culture looks like and just make people on campus more aware,” White said.

NAIA has several other opportunities planned, including a Nov. 18 conversation and discussion with Furman’s religion and politics department, a possible tabling event focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and a potential cultural trip next semester.

White hopes the Nov. 9 celebration will help more students discover the organization and see the many ways cultures can connect.

“We want people to come in with a learning, wanting-to-engage mindset,” she said. “Two cultures are here that are so vibrant and so alive.”

Come hungry, bring your curiosity and join NAIA and HOLA for an evening of food, music, conversation and cultural connection.