Alright, let me paint the scene.
The year was 2020.
My whole world had come to a stop.
No cars, no school.
That whole part of my life just got cropped.
I took that time to educate me.
Self-school!
Walked outside to my first period,
learned from watching the trees
and speculating how each organism
worked together now that they were all free.
I know my soul felt the same.
2020, it seemed like everything that year changed.
I sat there thinking about the next step,
thinking about school, looked at Haskell and thought,
Can I really be dual?
Do my ancestors qualify all the way back then?
Man, no matter my fears,
I had a voice in the back of my head
telling me I should be at Haskelll right here.
All those years in school looking crazy
celebrating Columbus and conquistadors
just as I was told.
Memorize the lies within each Tribe,
ace the test,
Keep moving up each grade,
positioning my proximity
closer and closer
to working in the white man’s world.
But I always knew—
There was more bestowed within me.
A powerful force
destined to show itself in its full glory.
Made my way to Lawrence.
Moving on up!
I remember my first day,
pushing past Lawrence borders.
The clouds, gloomy.
The cars, slow.
No sun in sight
even made the pedestrians low.
I walked to class,
smiling behind my mask.
Hi, be my friend!
The freshman in me hoped,
only to look around
and see hope was the last thing on everyone’s minds.
I mean, rightfully so.
There were no more rooms in the dorms.
So, 30 minutes back
to my first apartment at 18, here I go.
Throughout those five years,
I had my head low,
but my eyes
laser focused
on anything I could learn
about Indigenous Tribes.
Because for my entire life,
I was brainwashed to settle for the lies.
God put me in front of legends
such as Daniel Wildcat,
Cole Brings Plenty,
And a university
directly linked
to the piece of my family
I’d always yearned for.
My name is Lauryn Callis.
I’m a part of the Muscogee and Cherokee Nations of Oklahoma
with lineage from Nigeria and Ghana.
I learned how to represent
and be proud of all of me
at Haskell Indian Nations University.
Look where we are now.
It’s 2025
and I’m looking everyone here in the eye.
Making sure what my ancestors did
still applies.
I walk their path with open eyes.
Their echoes rise.
They never die.
I honor them as time complies
Their strength remains, they never die
Their fire burns where my soul resides
What’s next, you may ask?
I’ll be studying Indigenous Film and Media
to help spread light on Indigenous stories,
history, and joy.And for that,
I will always thank
Haskell Indian Nations University.
Check out the slam poetry performance on our YouTube here: https://youtu.be/rdt2fpjnxZM
