On October 10th, the Wayne Hills Empowerment Club hosted a movie to highlight Native American culture.

Some Americans argue that Columbus Day should be abolished because of Christopher Columbus’ violent and racist past while others argue he should be commemorated for his “discovery” of the New World. Traditionally, October 10th would have been the day people recognized and celebrated Christopher Columbus Day, however, many acknowledge it as Indigenous Peoples’ Day now in a push to illuminate Indigenous peoples’ resilience and survival.

The Empowerment Club took it upon themselves to educate the student body on the diverse and complex history of Indigenous Peoples in the U.S. by hosting a movie night. Smoke Signals is a 1989 independent coming-of-age moving that delves into the lives of two boys living on a reservation and their significant ties to their culture. Club members got to have fun with friends while also viewing a very important piece, depicting the lived experience of Native Americans.

Junior Jieun Paik said, “It was a nice way to end the school day, and there were a lot of really interesting takeaways from the movie.”

The Empowerment Club hopes to continue to shed light on this marginalized group throughout the year.