This may be a bit outdated but I posted a comment on goodspeedupdate.com when it Sam Woll admitted being a part of gamua.
I am glad that the name is being dropped… or is in the process of being dropped or whatever…

Anyway, ive gotten some comments that my feelings are shared by many in the native and other minority communities on the issue of gamua and alot of it applies here. I’ll copy some of the meat for you:

===Perhaps one of the current members can correct me if I am wrong but I seem to recall it {Michigamua’s mandate} saying something like ” to uphold the excellence of the University of Michigan through service and fellowship.” Maybe I am way off, but I know it didnt say anything about smoking out a ceremonial pipe like it was a bong (a picture labeled 1996) or doing god knows what with what looked to me like an authentic cradle board.

I said these words to a representative from Michagamua and was told that the tape was played at an alumni meeting {Michigamua “Old Wolves”}, if you do not deny the power of diversity and you believe that Natives make a valuable contribution to this campus, then continuing to exist as you are is a direct contradiction to your mandate. They are dissuading natives from wanting to come to the U. It is hard enough comming to planet Ann Arbor from the rez without an organization making us feel weirder than we already do. I KNOW there are good people among the ranks of Michagamua, but please do not be fooled into believing that you have the power to make any kind of change. Even if you get your generation and the 10 generations after you to favor a name change, you will still be vastly outnumbered {I was proven wrong here apparently, though, I would argue that it was likely OUTSIDE pressures that changed thier minds more than the concerns of the newer classes} by the “buffalo calves”, “flip em backs” and “squaw teasers”. (I am sorry, i know that was a cheap shot, but I gotta hand it to them that one is blatently miserably racist and funny). I do want them to change thier name, and maybe someday they will and maybe someday they really can seperate themselves from thier past. {maybe actually doing something to help undo the damage they have done by supporting the Native community in some genuine way would be a good start. dont expect anybody to come begging} Until they do, do not delude yourselves into believing you have a voice in the organization in your pursuit of furthering your own ends by tapping thier extensive and powerful alumni network (it would be a powerful temptation even to me, ill admit) The best way that you can force this organization to truly seperate from its past is to continue being the best and brightest and DENY them your membership. Maybe if they have to start settling for fourth and fifth best, {are you sure they are not already doing this Tony? how many people refused thier tap before they came to you?} the “old wolves” will realize that this is not the legacy they want to leave.
Anyway, please try to remember who it was that donated the land that your beloved university was built on.
I am pulling for you, we are all in this together.==

I have said this to you before Dumi and all members of the minority community active on my behalf. THANKS!
I would speak out about this nonsense alone if I had to, knowing that I am not gives me a confidence I’ve rarely known.

Finally, everybody visit http://www.aises.org/events/2006 and sign up to volunteer for the national conference in Detroit next week. ;)

-Andy Chosa

On a related reflection, I look back at my own experiences as a student activist and all the anger and rage that is still happening on campus today. I stand in support of BSU’s decision to take Saunders off the e-board. I also hope that folks collectively looks for ways to heal ourselves, especially folks in our own communiites. I know this is hard to do in the fast life of student activsts…just some thoughts…