The life of LaDonna Harris, a Comanche social and political activist, was put on the big screen in Pearce Hall 128 with the showing of a documentary called "Indian 101." After the showing, attendees talked to the social-mover herself.

Harris said she was prone to tears in some situations, but found those and logic came in handy when she lobbied for various causes.

Freshman Maricruz Patino, from Chicago, did not know much about life for Native Americans before seeing the documentary. After learning more about Harris, she came to realize that they have a lot of pride in their heritage, like she does in her Latino background.

Patina liked how Harris talked about a need for history to be written in more inclusive way.

"This was something that isn't really talked about," Patino said. "She (Harris) said we have to change how history is taught, mention Native Americans more, and I definitely agree."

Harris's activism began in the grasslands of Oklahoma, where she was raised by her maternal grandparents at their farm. She looked at the high dropout rates common for Native American students and desired to make a change in her community.

Now around 50 years later, Harris is known for being a social and political mover. She founded Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity, impacted the Civil Rights Movement, encouraged environment protection and championed women's rights.

"She accomplished so many things and that really stuck out the most," said Olivia Manitowabi-McCullough, programmer for the event and vice president of The North American Indigenous Student Organization.

The documentary's title comes from the name of a class she taught to U.S. policy-makers.

As the wife of U.S. Senator Fred Harris, she taught congressmen basics about the Native American people for 30 years with her crash-course Indian 101.

Harris said she burst into tears when she first learned the people who run America barely know Native Americans exist.

"We found that no one understood us in Washington, they knew about Pocahontas and Sacagawea, but that was as far as they understood," Harris said.

Harris talked about her life and philosophies as a comanche in the political spotlight. She also called for change in American education that includes more information about Native Americans for students and for the government to better acknowledge the part of America that is Indian Country.

"The whole policy of the American Government has been to assimilate us," Harris said. "Other people of color are integrated, but assimilated means we would no longer be here (as a culture), done away with our languages."

Watching the documentary and thinking about these issues was angering, said Heather Syrette, president of NAISO.

The descendent of two Native tribes, the Little Traverse Bay band of Odawa and the Oneida Nation of Thames, stood up to talk about her views during the discussion.

"I think it is very sad that our United States school system has no concept of teaching people about how to be diverse, especially when it comes to Native American people," Syrette said. "Students from non-native cultures always explain to me how they don't really know anything."

Syrette wanted to know Harris's suggestions on how to change what she sees as a culture of ignorance in American schools.

Harris agreed and called that the most important question.

"I would rather face the U.S. Senate than any school board," she said.

Manitowabi-McCullough believes education is key in changing people's ignorance to understanding, and that is why NAISO has so many different programs and events on campus.