In the face of low awareness about American Indian culture, experts and community members hope to shed light on these issues at an annual ISU symposium.

The ISU community can explore American Indian culture when the symposium begins this week. It includes discussions and events intended to showcase their history.

Devery Fairbanks, lecturer in liberal arts and sciences cross-disciplinary studies, said the media had trouble covering the school shooting in Red Lake, Minn., last week because of a cultural misunderstanding. The tribe leader of the reservation on which the school was located had to explain to a reporter that the reason the FBI was called in was because the tribe is a federal Indian tribe. This means the tribe has its jurisdiction with the federal government and not with the state. Fairbanks said the TV reporter could not understand why the tribe was not under the jurisdiction of the state.

“If the reporter doesn’t know, I think Americans could benefit by knowing what is going on within their borders,” Fairbanks said. “All the United States goes on is Indian stereotypes; they think it’s romantic and just for show — it’s not. People don’t know there are actually real Native Americans out there in the world trying to survive like everyone else.”

Karen Rimsa, president of the ISU American Indian Sciences & Engineering Society, said the school shooting may or may not influence attendance at the events.

“I hope people coming would be based on that they want to know more about the [American Indian] culture,” Rimsa said.

The 34th annual American Indian Symposium is scheduled to feature Jack Gladstone, a Blackfeet Indian singer, who will perform music and storytelling. Gladstone will also narrate the official Lewis and Clark Expedition film, “Lewis and Clark: Confluence of Time and Courage,” at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union.

Darrell Martin, National Park Service American Indian liaison for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, will speak at 8 p.m. Friday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. The lecture is titled “The Corps of Discovery Meets the Gros Ventre Nation.”

The symposium is hosting a powwow Saturday to demonstrate American Indian dances.

Even though the symposium is successful in attaining a large crowd of people every year, Fairbanks still has his doubts.

“Our goal is to bring in the broader ISU community, but we can’t reach our goal,” Fairbanks said. “People are apathetic. No one cares. All the students care about is taking one class to fulfill their U.S. Diversity credit.”

He said there is always a good turnout; however, the same people show up every year. He said it would be nice to have a broad, diverse audience this year.