CMU campus cleanup honors Mother Earth for Native American Heritage Month

Volunteers filled 51 trash bags as they cleaned up campus Sunday in honor of Native American Heritage Month.

The event took place from 1 to 3 p.m. to beautify Central Michigan University one day after Halloween festivities.

The annual cleanup began last year for the Native American tradition of honoring Mother Earth. The second year had a bigger turnout.

“Last year, we had maybe 30 people. This year, we have over 50 students that came from Volunteer Central,” said Colleen Green, director of Native American Programs. “We liked it so much that we thought we would try it again.”

There were nine groups, ranging from three to 20 members, that were assigned a certain portion of campus to clean.
After Halloween night, the volunteers ran into more than just the usual bottle or pumpkin.

“Someone found some bubble wrap in the pond,” said Sarah Avery, administrative secretary for Multicultural Education Program. “She thought it was just a little piece but, when she pulled it out, it kept on coming out.”

Many pumpkins filled the trash bags, along with cans and, sometimes, full whiskey bottles from the night before, Avery said.

The volunteers covered the parking lots, sidewalks and near the football field.

“Some of the volunteers also picked up a lot of the construction debris that was left there around the field,” Avery said.

A return effort

Some of the group members liked the cleanup enough to return for a second year.

Kalamazoo junior Brittany Armstrong, and sophomores Donnesha Blake, from Flint, and Elizza LeJeune, from Detroit, were all returnees from last year.

They had the same Multicultural Advancement Scholarship, so they were e-mailed about it, Blake said.

“Honestly, this campus is beautiful, so we just want to keep it clean,” Armstrong said. “We wanted to give back. If we didn’t clean up, then it would just be a mess.”

In their group, Armstrong, Blake and LeJeune were part of a larger 10-volunteer group, which covered the northwest part of campus. They hauled in 11 bags worth of trash. Each volunteer was liable for at least one bag.

Avery expects an even bigger turnout next year.

Afterward, volunteers were given cider and donuts for their work.

“It was just something to show our appreciation for all the work they had done,” Avery said.