Carly Kohler
A Stanford undergraduate who majored in psychology and minored in Native American studies, Carly (‘13) describes her active involvement in Stanford's Native American community.
I remember one night during my freshman year when my friends and I were walking together. The boys at the back of our group started chanting the haka and the boys at the front chanted back. We walked like that; the chanting going back and forth as the kamate kaka echoed across the campus.
I felt pride in the traditional boy's chant because they were proudly representing our Native identity. As we walked to our dorm, I felt a calming presence descend over our small chanting group as if we were all one.
I am of Yurok, Karuk, Hupa and European decent, and I have been very involved in the Native community at Stanford. I live in Muwekma-Tah-Ruk, the Native theme dorm, and have been a staff member there for two years. Half of the residents are Native students and the other half are non-Native; the house is very diverse. Even among the Native students, every student is from a different tribe. The diversity is so rich at Stanford. It gives students the opportunity to learn so much from each other and expand their understanding of culture and people in ways that can't always be taught in a class.
Carly Kohler, ‘13
STORY AND PHOTO COURTESY OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSION
