National Native American Heritage Month Employee Spotlight: Heather Hawkins

Heather Hawkins works for Quanex St. Cloud in the French cut miter department for cabinet doors. She enjoys the fast-paced work environment and is grateful to her Quanex team members for helping her grow as a person. Heather is also proudly part of the Red Lake Nation and embraces her Native American Heritage in November and every day.

What is the one thing you want people to know about the Native American heritage?

Red Lake Nation is part of the Seven Anishinaabe Nations, a group of culturally similar nations in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. The other Anishinaabe Nations are the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

What are some of your favorite Native American traditions?

I’m learning my traditions as I go. I enjoy teaching my kids to make maple syrup every year. I attend powwows every summer and am currently working on mastering the fry bread, but it will never taste better than my grandmother’s. I am also learning to bead and making my daughter’s ribbon dress to participate in the Red Lake powwow next year. I hope to teach my family how to harvest rice in the future.

How do you embrace your Native American heritage?

I embrace my heritage by learning the history of my ancestors. I enjoy attending powwows to see the dancers dressed in their regalia, the jingle dresses, ribbon dresses, etc. They dance to the beat of the drum, which is symbolic of the life cycle. The powwow brings the circle of people closer to their family, friends, and Native American culture. When you attend a powwow, you will see children (tiny tots) as young as two or three years old in dancing outfits and the elders partaking in the dances. The beautiful thing about a Powwow is that it is intended to welcome everyone, not just Native Americans.

Any final thoughts you want to share?

There are many places to explore information on the Native American culture. Some notable examples include the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post in Central Minnesota; Grand Portage National Monument along Lake Superior; Hoċokata Ti Cultural Center,  the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux’s Cultural Center and Gathering Space; and the Jeffers Petroglyphs in Southwestern Minnesota. I would highly recommend exploring these places in person or online.