Link to Audio Podcast: https://www.bravevoices.fieldscenter.princeton.edu/native-indigenous-voices

Interview with Christian Hernandez '22

Hosted by Myra Ridhuan ‘27

Myra Ridhuan '27 (00:05)

Alright, so the first round of questions is introductions. So if you could please introduce yourself with your name, class year, and concentration. And feel free to also share your tribal affiliation, your nation, your clan, or the tribal community that you come from. And if you wish to do this in your own Native or Indigenous language, please do so.

Christian Hernandez '22 (00:24)

Sounds good. Well, hello, I'm Christian Hernandez, class of 2022. I concentrated in molecular biology while I was at Princeton. And my tribal affiliation is Aztec and Coahuilatecan. Specifically, my family clan for the Coahuilatecans is the Bard Owl clan. Coahuilatecans are split into really small groups, only a few dozen or a few families, not like a big nation like some of the others. Aztec, I don't have a defined or like enrolled position because Aztecs aren't recognized as a tribe in the United States, only in Mexico where some of my family's from. And then Tecans, we don't unfortunately have any representation. We only recently bought our first patch of tribal land, but we're not state or federally recognized, unfortunately.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (01:11)

Alright, perfect. So there are a couple of different sections throughout the interview. The first section being community / environment, with the first question being, how did Princeton's environment compare to the environment you were raised or grew up in? What was your experience like your first year at Princeton and how did you adjust to the transition at Princeton?

Christian Hernandez '22 (01:29)

I will say, so the environment I grew up in, I grew up in Southeast Texas. That's where I'm originally from, where almost all my family is from, except for a few of my relatives in Mexico. And I grew up in a rural / suburban community. I grew up on a farm. So it was very different moving to, you know, the suburban Northeast from Texas. know, Texas is a very insular culture. We're very proud to be there. Houston's a very diverse place with like lots of really great food. So it's different moving to a small suburban town.

Where there was a lot more, I guess, White and Asian representation than I was used with. There were almost, you know, very few Hispanics except for a few on the north side of town. And so that was kind of a big shock for me. I was like, where's the good Mexican food? know, where's the signs in Spanish? Like I didn't really see any of that at Princeton. And then I guess I just met a lot more people who were wealthy. Like I didn't really know that many people from the upper class. So that was kind of different for me coming from my community where, you know, most people are farmers or work in the oil industry, you know, or one of the service industries associated with that. So yeah, it was kind of a different experience. I also was homeschooled. And so my social skills were not the best. I was very used to being close to my family and my church that I was a part of and not too well connected with other people. So Princeton really gave me a great opportunity, honestly, to make friends and like really connect with people in a way that I hadn't. So I will say I went from being like a more introverted, sort of keeping to myself person to like, now I'm an extreme extrovert. And that just Princeton really helped facilitate that. I think a lot of the, whether it was the orientation or we did a little like farm trip. I forget again, what those are called. It's been a while, but we did a little trip to a farm with a few students and just got one of those students is actually a friend I just visited in Seattle. So I met him the first week I was there at Princeton.

And so, yeah, it was just a really blossoming time, I guess, for my social and friendship engagement. And all these friends, I'm going to several of their weddings this year. So I think it gave me a lasting community. Beyond that, intellectually, I'd say it wasn't too difficult to be a part of Princeton. My homeschool curriculum was pretty academically rigorous. I had done research projects on my own. I had worked on publishing papers and stuff like that. So intellectually, it was definitely different. I definitely learned lots of things. But I was used to kind of I'm a self learner, self studier. So a lot of that aspect of Princeton wasn't too difficult. Definitely the content was different. It was new, but it wasn't something I hadn't seen before. think what I most appreciated though was meeting other people. It was sort of at my academic level. And so that kind of helped the transition. I would say it's like, wow, you're interested in this subject in the history of medicine as well. Now I have someone to talk to when I do the homework instead of just doing it on my own. I think that's a good overview of coming into Princeton.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (04:17)

That was wonderful. When you're talking about the farm, are you talking about the small group experiences, like Community Action?

Christian Hernandez '22 (04:24)

Yeah, so ours was like a Community Action, although I think it was under Outdoor Action, funnily enough. The format was very similar. So yeah, we were stationed on a farm and we would pick crops actually for the farm and learn how to pick beans, tomatoes, apples, learn about how to harvest apple cider, because apple cider was the farm's big income stream. So we learned how the cider press works. It was a specifics farm that was a Quaker farm that we were stationed at, I think for like four days. And yeah, made our own food, our own campfire, pulled weeds. Yeah, it was a really unique bonding time.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (05:01)

Sounds great! Thank you for sharing that. Moving on to the next question, what was your relationship like with your family and your tribal or Indigenous community while you were at Princeton and did being at Princeton change that?

Christian Hernandez '22 (05:13)

Yeah, so I think in terms of like, obviously I wasn't with them every day, but I kind of talked with my mom and dad like every day. Every time I had a free time, I just would call them for maybe, you know, 20, 30 minutes, you know, and chat with them and my siblings as well. My brother, I think the relationship with my brother changed the most because my brother's not a big talk on the phone guy for hours and he's more like, he's more used to like doing things together. So unfortunately I think he and I grew more distant just in general. And he went off to college as well just two years after me. So I think that very much changed. It's funny you asking that makes me think about that. Cause you know, he and I used to hang out together, go get meals together. We do shooting sports, we did hunting together, you know, and just a lot of the stuff that we, you you just can't do that. You can just talk and my brother's not one for talking that much. So I think that definitely changed. My sisters definitely, every time I was on the phone, they were like, hey. Come home and visit us. As to more of like the tribal or Native aspect, one thing that was just kind of different is like at Princeton, our tribe believes in God and a lot of us have become Christians and like I'm a Christian myself, although my name, I was named when we weren't Christians. So that's kind of another story.

But anyways, it was kind of different meeting a lot of people who didn't have the same like religious assumptions as I did. And they were like, I don't know if there's a God or there isn't a God or God is different. Versus like in our community is like, hey, God's the one who gave us the farm animals. And like, we know that we're stewards and we feel responsible. Versus like, think other people I met were like, I just love nature for nature itself. And it's kind of a different perspective is like, okay, but why? And they're like, well, I just love it. And I'm like, okay, but what's the reason? So that was kind of a big, that was kind of a big difference, you know, in the use of that. Because again, God is like very much personal and working through the natural world, like for a Coahuilatecan. And just not to have that or to have a different view of that. You know, that was kind of interesting. I would say also like the connection with nature kind of changed because again, as like a Native, it's like, hey, these are the animals, you know, this oak tree, like my ancestors 300 years ago, we have like 300, 400 year old trees in our yard. It's like they were here, like they were under its branches, you know, and in Princeton age, it was more of like something, oh, I don't get a chance to hike that often. Like I was out hiking all the time. I was out exploring nature all the time.

Because I'm like, I wanna remain grounded and connected, even though it's not the land my ancestors lived on. It's just like, hey, I can still appreciate what God made and I want to be in it and it gives me time for meditation, for peace, that sort of thing. So I think my relationship with nature, I emphasized it even more because I wasn't on my land and so I had to go find it versus other people were like, ⁓ why are you out in the woods today? I'm like, yeah, I'm just appreciating the trees here. I'm also was like a big naturalist for my family. So like one of my farming / tribal responsibilities was I would manage actually the the plants, the crops. We had corn, we had cabbage, we had all sorts of things that we grew. And so I was very much involved with digging plants, planting them, sowing them, knowing the seasons when the moon cycles were right. And Princeton like I didn't have any land, like I couldn't plant anything. And that was kind of difficult for me. Like, oh, but it's time to plant corn or it's time to plant this. And there's just none of that. Like none of that exists in, you know, in the Princeton community. And so I did get involved with like the composting crew dealing with the food waste at Princeton. And that was like my closest connection to like something earthy, something farm-like and trying to hold onto that. But yeah, that kind of really changed. And I kind of forgot a lot of the names of plants that I knew growing up. And that was just...kind of difficult, but at the same time, I actually bought a bunch of guidebooks and learned about Jersey plants and learned like what plants they grow, what plants are in forest. And I joined a farming society that wasn't connected with Princeton and actually went to visit different farms. And I actually worked for a farmer while I was at Princeton. And so anyways, that helped me like remain that connection to like my farming heritage.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (09:12)

That's wonderful. I think right now, I don't know if this organization existed while you were at Princeton, but right now at Princeton I know there's the Princeton Garden Project. And so, I don't know if that was something that was around when you were here, but that's something we have now.

Christian Hernandez '22 (09:28)

Oh, that would have been nice. Yeah, I don't know. Because I remember there were several organizations that were like defunct for a time. And like, I know that they'll come back. Like, I think Princeton has that cyclic nature of some of the student organizations of like, they'll remain a web page. And then suddenly people get interested and there will be tons of people. And then after a few generations, you know, they just disappear. So yeah, I don't think at least it was that active when I was there. Because I think I remember looking into that or like, I think I heard about it. But I don't know if there were that many people involved. And then COVID obviously made things, you know, kind of prevented any development of that if I had been interested after sophomore year. So yeah, that's good to know. Thanks for bringing that up though.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (10:10)

Thank you for sharing your answers to that question. The next question being, did you find a community at Princeton? If so, can you recall the first time that you felt this way?

Christian Hernandez '22 (10:20)

Yeah, so my main community at Princeton starting off was the Princeton Christian Fellowship. That's what I was most involved with. I was hosted actually during the Tiger Weekend, Tiger Week, I think, and I forget the terms now. Oh my. But basically the Preview weekend of Princeton, I was actually hosted by the president of the Christian Fellowship. And so got to meet him and he became an intern of the fellowship the next year. Like he graduated, became an intern. So I got introduced to like tons of people in my community. And I'd say the first time that I felt like, okay, I'm part of this community, like I'm not just a guest, was my now best friend and I, we would go to our daily prayer in the Murray Dodge building. And we started doing that every day. And so I think it was probably late October, 2018 is probably when I first felt that because I'm like, everyone's like, we're here. It's so good to see you again. Like we're, we know you're a regular. We know you're part of that. And I think just, I remember like,

Gavin and I sitting down, my best friend's name's Gavin, sitting down like ready to pray. And I'm like, wow, I'm really glad I'm here. Like mom was right. Like it was, it was really good to be here and I think I'll fit in well. So yeah, they're kind of like, they've been my friends and my community, even beyond Princeton, like in Seattle, I visited three of them just because they were like, hey, come out to Seattle. Like you'll have fun and we'll go to the beach and we'll do all this stuff. And I'm like, sounds good to me. So I felt that was really part of my community. My other big community was at least the freshman year was the Integrated Sciences Curriculum community. So it was like really difficult science physics class that we were doing together. You know, classic, you're up till 3 a.m. studying together. Like you're dying with these problems. Everyone gets a D, you know, on the exam, except like two people. So, you know, that community also was just like really there for you. And I think especially the construction of like when we were there late at night at like three in the morning and you're like, I can't solve this problem.

I had a scooter back then and I would like scooter some laps around near the Icahn building or even actually sometimes in the Icahn building. ⁓ but, ⁓ and my friend would do handstands and then he'd like, okay, let me look at what you're looking at. And can you look at what I'm looking at and let's see if we can explain it to each other. So I think that was another big moment of bonding with those three or four guys who were, you know, my guys in that class and in the Integrated Sciences class. So yeah, I would say those are two know, two good communities and those were two moments. And I guess the 3M stuff, when did that start? I think it was like November. It was like maybe a month after really becoming another part of that community.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (12:55)

It's great to hear that you still maintain such a close connection even after graduation. It's wholesome to hear about.

Christian Hernandez '22 (13:01)

about.

Yeah, I think it's I think it's so interesting how like friendship has played a role in my life. Like, wow, I went from having no friends like in high school. Like now I have all these friends and like people were in Tallahassee. They're like, so when are you going on your next wedding to your next friend from Princeton? That's kind of the expectation is like my boss knows that that's just how many friends I have and how connected I am to them. And I've been the best man in two of the weddings. So it's like, yeah, it's still pretty significant. And I feel like for me, I do like to travel. I like to explore the world. And I can kind of like explore the world through my friends. Like I can just visit a part of the world for somebody and I'll get to learn about that culture, but through someone who lives there who's a part of it. So I think that's also like kind of special too, like Princeton's cultural engagement sort of interlapping with, you know, my friendships.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (13:48)

That's sweet. For the last question in this section, were there any moments when your identity as Native or Indigenous made you feel marginalized from the greater Princeton community, and if so, could you describe this moment?

Christian Hernandez '22 (14:02)

So I'd say when there was a movement at Princeton, and maybe this will tie into one of the later questions as well, but Princeton promised the Native community that they were going to build a garden in the center of campus. And they were actually going to build it near the art museum. And they said, again, we're going to build this to represent the Lenni Lenape, which again, they're not my tribe, but you know, they're the Native people of the region. And I'd met some of them and there were a few people at Princeton from that community. And so they promised them, hey, we're going to build a Native garden and we're going to talk about the Lenni Lenape's contributions, we're gonna have plants that are, you know, medicinally important. And I was like, I'm really excited. Like, I'm really glad for, you know, the Lenni Lenape members. And the Munsee tribe is also related to them. It's like, they'd be very excited. And some of my friends were excited. And even some of my friends who aren't Native were like, wow, this is really cool. And then Princeton got the big donation to expand the art museum. And that changed. And that, and again, I don't want to sound cliche, but it's like, they literally were like, oh, we're not going to do that. And if we do build a garden, it's going to be on the other side of the lake. I love donations. I'm not a particular like, I'm very capitalistic. Like I appreciate what big companies do. I know they fund a lot of good things, you know, but it's just like, it was kind of cliche. Like what happened? It's like, okay, we had a Native thing we promised to build, but as soon as someone gave us some money to build something different, let's forget about that. And I don't think the garden still hasn't been built as far as I'm aware, even on the other side of the lake. And so it's just like kind of an empty promise that kind of has a bad taste in a Native American's mouth. You know, when you talk about empty promises, you know, of American institutions. And it was interesting for, you know, an organization as progressive or open as Princeton to be like, yeah, we can care less. You know, it's like, don't make the promise if you know you might change it. Better not to make a promise and just say, hey, this is an idea. We might do this, but we're not sure. Like you can say that. I understand. Things change.

Buildings change, get it. But it just was like, they were hyping this up and it just felt now like a PR thing. So I think for me, that's when I was like, oof, like that really, really stinks. I think another moment though, and this is a little more like personal, was in Natives at Princeton, which I was a member of. There were some individuals, you know, who were like me, they're of mixed ethnic descent and it's like, yeah, I'm also German, I'm also Spanish. I have that other you know, cultural and ethnic identity as well. And then there are some individuals who are more, you know, fully Native or at least half, like, you know, I may be 30 % Native, but you know, others larger. And there was this one particular moment where I was sitting with two people in the Natives at Princeton room and they were studying, you know, certain things. And one of them made a comment about how like, the Spanish were terrible and how they destroyed Native society, right?

And for me, like, my Aztec roots, like, yeah, the Aztecs were overthrown by the Spaniards. But the situation's a little more complicated than that, because the Aztecs were also kind of oppressors of a lot of other Native groups. Like, they had an empire, and they conquered people and did some horrible things, you know, massacred them, human-sacrificed them, like, really bad. Like, really bad stuff. And my family has a history of violence associated with that. Like, I have some members of my family who actually murdered each other in the sake of their religion, like, you know, I'm not joking. Like, my grandfather actually went to prison for it. And so for me, I don't see the Spanish as like necessarily terrible. I'm also Spanish myself, but it's like, it's more complicated. Like it's a, it's not a simplistic good guys, bad guys type thing. You know, it's like Native and European interactions are, you know, they're interactions, they're complicated, like any interaction. And so for me, it was like, okay, like that's not fair. That's not a fair representation of the Spanish. And like, there's a lot of good contributions the Spanish brought to Native culture. There are also a lot of bad things they brought to Native culture. And so I think for me that was like, okay, am I Native enough? I think was sort of the question. And I sort of felt like, do I belong here? And these two people are talking bad about my other side of my culture. And like, what do I emphasize? Like, ⁓ And then also the Aztec, I'm like, I don't think you understand how an Aztec feels. Like we don't necessarily hate the Spanish, know? Which in some ways they were liberators from certain bad practices, you know?

They prevented slavery and they prevented human sacrifice. Like very good things. And so, yeah, so I think that was just another moment I can point to, be like, ooh, like being multi-ethnic as a Native, like, how do I think about that? You know, and do I belong? So yeah, I think those are two instances that, and I'm not mad at those people. Like I bear no grudges. I don't bear grudges against Princeton for the Native thing. Like I know how things happen, but yeah, just wanted to highlight that.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (18:49)

That's such a fresh perspective. I didn't know that Princeton made that promise with the garden. A previous person we interviewed mentioned there's a plaque that recognizes that this is Lenape land. But even then, I didn't know a plaque existed that recognized Lenape land. And so it's like people don't even know this is here because it's just such a minuscule thing that doesn't really make it widely known. But a garden would have made it definitely much more widely known that this is Lenape land. So it's really interesting that they completely pushed that project aside because I feel like a lot of incoming students because the art museum is just constantly being, because it's supposed to open in the fall, it's constantly being advertised and publicized. And so I feel like it's interesting that everyone's so excited about this new art museum, but we don't know the beginnings of how it all kind of got started. It got started because another project was pushed aside. It's really interesting.

Christian Hernandez '22 (19:41)

Yeah, yeah. And it's interesting because when I came in, we didn't even know they were going to expand the art museum. Like that wasn't even on the table. And so, yeah, no, I'm glad to contribute that. I just find like, I guess it's funny you mentioned the plaque, because I think I remember, I don't even know where that plaque is. But I remember I think that's what they replaced the garden with. Remember when they said, oh yeah, we'll put a plaque instead. And I'm like, that's really talk about like, it's kind of political, it's kind of just pandering, but it's not genuine. Like, I could put up a plaque about anything and it would cost me nothing, you know.

So it just felt like, yeah, we need to support minority students or something. And I'm like, yeah, that's not real. Like, no, no one wants a plaque. So yeah, maybe somebody does. Maybe, maybe somebody does, but wouldn't prefer. I'd prefer genuine expression. Native Americans didn't build plaques and put their name on it, you know, and feel like, Hey, the Coahuilatecans lived here on this river. You know, it's like...

Myra Ridhuan '27 (20:34)

Kind of going on the opposite end of that question. Were there any moments when you felt a sense of community or connection because of your Native or Indigenous identity?

Christian Hernandez '22 (20:44)

Yeah, yeah, for sure. So when I first found out about Natives at Princeton, which I found out freshman year, the meetings times didn't just work with me with my Princeton Christian Fellowship community. We had a Bible study at the same time and I was like, I really already felt a part of that community and I want to learn more about God and the Bible. And so it's like, ⁓ so I didn't really connect with Natives at Princeton until after COVID, like sort of when we came back in 2021. But I think sitting down with the president, Keely Toledo and Jessica, they were co-presidents and then just had a meal with me and we're like, hey, here's Natives at Princeton. We know we've, kind of coming back from COVID, like we want you to be involved. Like we're trying to get all the Natives back together. And it was just really genuine. Like I've not really just met up with sort of two, like I didn't know them from other classes.

So it's kind of like strangers all meeting and just were like, hey, what can we do? What can you contribute sort of hearing my story about my tribe and their stories were different, you know, and so and Keely was like, you know, she's full-blooded Navajo and so she was like sort of being accepting to someone who's hey I'm only a third, you know, a third Native. So I think that was a really key moment just that first interaction with them. I think another was when I have a friend Delaney who's also a mixed Native and she and I, we're actually both from this Christian fellowship and we found out we were both Natives. Like she showed up to one of the meetings like, whoa. So, wow, it was really cool just to connect with another, you know, mixed Native who's also a Christian and just sort of think through some of the Native interactions and thoughts we had as Christian Natives. So I think I felt really at home as well as like, okay, there's others like me. It's not just like, they're full-blooded Natives or there's just, you know, a Native who's from a naturalistic background or a traditional religion background. But just like Natives at Princeton was welcoming to people from all backgrounds, including mine. And I think we watched the TV show Reservation Dogs, which depicts life on a Native reservation, which isn't relevant to me because again, we don't have our reservations, but it was really cool to sort of bond over that. And Delaney and I got to talk about that show, but also talk with Natives who had grown up, you know, on reservations. And it was like, okay, what is it like? How is it similar to what you see in the movies or even in the show? And how is it different in that way? So I think just seeing

through watching those TV show episodes altogether as a community. They're like, wow, I fit in. People like me fit in here.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (23:03)

That's great, thank you. So we're going to move on to the next section of questions, which is identity. With the first question being, did being at Princeton change the way you perceive yourself as Native or Indigenous?

Christian Hernandez '22 (23:16)

Yeah, I think it definitely did. It helped sort of contextualize what is a modern Native for me because growing up, it just sort of was a thing that you had. And again, we only have a few relatives and our tribe. didn't grow up in a reservation. The Coahuilatecan tribe is extremely tiny, like only dozens or maybe a few hundred members. Like we're very small and that's due to the historical like genocide that happened to us and also like hiding in Hispanic communities. So there's a lot of Coahuilatecans who don't know that they're Coquiltecan because they're Hispanic, you know? And so for me, it was just sort of like a thing that we were and it related to like, we thank the great spirit for the animals. So was a very like, these are just cultural things that our family does. This is what a family does and other families do other things, right? So then it was cool, like at Princeton meeting other Natives in particular, being like, whoa, okay, so you do that thing and our family also does that thing.

So sort of like trans-Native, you know, care for specific species of plants, right? And like association that, these ones are special, are unique. Also just like the land, like, wow, I just can't wait to go back to my land and see how nature is back where I'm from. And I'm like, whoa, I used to think that too, in a way. And then also like the tie of like your ancestors, like, hey, my ancestors lived here and your ancestors lived there. And you kind of feel similar to your ancestors that I do. Maybe we also feel different.

Because some of my ancestors again had bad practices that I don't really agree with. I don't think were right, you know, and some of them had good practices. So I think that was cool to be like, oh, there are other people who do sort of these things like me that are more than just that's how my family was raised or something. You know, it's more to that. I think also I became more vocal about being a Native American because again, it was a lot of like political issues, you know, that went on, especially from 2018 to 2022, a lot of different questions of like, whether it was the Keystone Pipeline, like in Dakota, I met people who were from North Dakota. And so for me, I started like informing a lot of my friends in my Christian fellowship and also in my science classes. They would ask me about Native issues. I had never really like spoken on them or didn't know much more about like the current political issues around them. So I started to read books like Vine Deloria's books, like Red Earth, White Lies about like Native history versus maybe more conventional American history. And then I read a book about Richard Twist, who's also a Christian Native. And he's like, how do we reconcile like racial strains and hatred, you know, with each other? And also like, what are the wounds that like we Natives have where we can have bitterness, you know, towards like white people or Black people or, you know, people who, hey, they live on lands that our ancestors lived on, but we don't have to hate them. And we don't have to demand money from them.

And so like, I think I got to shape like my sort of voice in like the public space of like, what does it mean to be a Native amongst, you know, other Americans in particular? I also, that I became like really knowledgeable about a lot of other tribes. So during COVID, I was supposed to go to the Amazon to like study some farming under a Native tribe in the Amazon. And unfortunately, like I had a plan for like, we were going to study like mixed tree farming, like how do you grow many species of trees together and produce a crop? And that just got completely destroyed, like completely gone. And I was like, what do do now? Like, I still want to engage as a Native. And I was like, wait, I want to just learn our histories. Like, what are the oral stories that have been recorded and written that are beyond just like the family stories that we've preserved, you know, orally perhaps, because I have some stories from my grandfather that are oral tradition. But like, what are the stories that are written and what do other tribes think?

And so I really from the period of like 2020 to 2021, did a huge study of like the Native from the Yup'iks of Alaska to the Navajo in the Southwest, all the way to the Selk'nam who live in, they live in Argentina, like at the very end of the world, basically. And what do they believe? How do they think? And sort of like, how is my worldview for my tribe different? And what is my tribe about? Like what wars did we fight in?

Who were we related to, you know? And I learned a lot about the Aztecs and like their empire, their cultural differences, how they were different clans of them. So yeah, so I just felt like Princeton gave me the platform and the resources, like the library articles, to just kind of talk about that and kind of like learn, wow, this history is a lot bigger than just like my personal experience, you know? And it goes back hundreds and thousands of years. And we had a lot more of it recorded than I thought. Like I thought, okay, most of it's gone or we all got...destroyed. So like what happened to it? So anyways, I think the coolest thing at Princeton is they have Wintersession right? And you can actually design your own class. And I actually got to teach a class, a two part class on Native American worldview was class number one, and then Native American history and migration. And I actually got to talk about like the three predominant Native American worldviews, including the Aztec worldview and how Aztecs think about the nature of the universe and the nature of earth and teach it to this class of some Natives, know, some Asians, some whites, some even professors who came to my class. And it was like, wow, it was really cool that like, I could take what I learned and share it with others. And I designed quizzes and had little matching games to like, you know, help people kind of remember what I'm saying. And I'm not just preaching at them, you know, and it was so cool how receptive people were of it and how like, they were like, this is incredible. Like I had no idea. And I'm like, yeah, I didn't have any idea either until I did this.

So I think Princeton allowing me to do that. They even gave me, allowed me to have a PowerPoint and I could show the migrations and just teaching me, well, hey, Natives are dynamic. Just like the European states, know, Germany didn't exist 300 years ago. Italy didn't exist 500 years ago. Like people move and change. Like we didn't just sit in the woods, you know, and use our tobacco all day and hunt deer, like for all of history. Like we changed, we adapted, we developed and to share that with people. And they were like, wow, you're a lot more like other nations than we thought. And I'm like, yeah, I mean, a Navajo is as different for me, you know, as an Englishman is from a Polish person. You know what I mean? And so that was that was really cool. And I think also Natives at Princeton, they were really happy. They were actually the ones who told me about it. And I asked, I was like, hey, guys, I'm going to represent us. Like, I'm going to talk about some of your tribes and send me information you want me to share. So I also got to kind of be advocacy from like the Natives at Princeton community to other people in the Princeton community. And again, I just I had never done any advocacy like that to other people. And so I think from that and like today, I'm very much still involved. I know a lot of Seminoles. I've actually been involved with the Seminole tribe here in Florida and I have friends from there and I'm working actually on a novel, a Native novel. So I still see myself as an advocate for like my tribes in particular, but also for Natives in general and be like, again, I'm a Christian, still very much involved in my church here in Tallahassee.

And I kind of tell them about that and like, Hey, here's how we can help Natives this way, here's how we can do that that way. And most of them are like, I didn't even know Natives were still around or I didn't know this. And it's like, in some ways that's sad, but it's also like an opportunity. Like I see it more as an opportunity. Like, Hey, let me give you a good image. So Princeton did a lot. Like Princeton really did a lot to turn me from a private to I think a public and, and see myself as, Hey, I'm not the only representative of Native Americans. Like every Native American is their own representative, but like I'm here just to share the word and ⁓ let people know what one can do. And I think that's been really helpful.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (30:46)

That's really cool. Actually, it's interesting the Wintersession classes that you taught. I don't think it was around when you were at Princeton, but there's a course, it's relatively new, called Native American History. It's taught by Dr. Ellis. And basically everything that you're talking about right now is basically what she covers within her course. So it's really interesting to see that what you were doing in your Wintersession course is really similar to what she's doing in her, because I took her course last semester, actually. That's really interesting to see what you're talking about. Yeah.

Christian Hernandez '22 (31:18)

Really? Wow, yeah, and I don't think that course existed back then. Wait, what's Dr. Ellis's full name?

Myra Ridhuan '27 (31:24)

I believe it's Elizabeth Ellis.

Christian Hernandez '22 (31:27)

Yeah, because I think she was, so we were part of the hiring process because she's a newer professor, right? Yeah. So we actually interviewed her and like I was, Yeah, we actually interviewed her. It was like a group interview. was like basically they're like, hey, the Natives can show up and each of the different candidates gave a presentation. And I believe Dr. Ellis was one of the ones who gave a presentation and I was there. And so that's so cool.

That's awesome. That's really great. That's really great. And I'm glad you took it. And it seems like I guess you liked it now that you're interviewing this.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (31:59)

Yeah I mean, not only does she teach it beautifully, but I think her course is probably one of my favorite courses. Right now, it stands as one of my favorites and I don't see that changing. I recommend it to anyone who needs a history requirement. The best way you can do it is through Dr. Ellis.

Christian Hernandez '22 (32:16)

That's amazing. Okay, that's so good. Well, that's really great to hear because it's just like, there was nothing like that, you know, when I was here and they're like, yeah, Natives is like, what I learned from Western movies is what most people know, so. Even at Princeton, you know, it's just like, that's not a part of the history or it's a very generic, it's like Native Americans. You're like, no, there's like, there's many of them. Like which one are you talking about? That's really cool. That's really, that's really neat. That warms my heart.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (32:44)

I'm going to move on to the next section which is administration with the question being, if there was one change that the Princeton leadership could make to improve experiences for Native and Indigenous students on campus, what would that be?

Christian Hernandez '22 (32:58)

I think the administration should be careful with the Natives when it comes to like not making it a political thing because in our current like affinity room, or at least in the affinity room when I was there, there were a lot of more like I'd say like politically left ideas and there was like, you know, even some like, Hey, curse at capitalism or whatever. And for me, I would identify as at least on many things a conservative. And now I'm, I think I'm more left when it comes to like land rights and Native land rights and such. So like, I'm not all the one way or the other, but I just would hope that they would in the activities and the events, they wouldn't just sort of group Natives as like, Hey, you're with the LGBTQ people. That's a different community, right? Or, Hey, we're just with the Black and other minority students. It's like, no, we're kind of our own thing. Like we don't have to fall just like you wouldn't put us under the, you know, the Jewish, if we were all Jewish, Native Americans, that we're just the Jewish Native American group, right? Or we're not all the Christian Native American group. It's like, no, we're just the Native group. Like we don't have to be the Republican or the Democrat or the environmentalist. Like we're just Native. Like that's its own thing in and of itself. And there are a lot of people from many different political and religious backgrounds. So I think just in terms of messaging, I think there were some conservative Natives who didn't feel messaged to, they felt like, it was just for those who, you know, believe in this candidate for president or something like that.

And so I think I would just appreciate the administration in providing those resources or providing activities, just being like, Hey, let's stick to the Native aspect and not really make it one way or another. Cause some of the messaging was like, I felt a little uncomfortable, but I went into it anyways. I'm happy to talk with anybody. Like, you know, I, I've interviewed people during the whole Israel Gaza thing on both sides and you know, I fall somewhere in the middle, maybe. Anyways, like I would just appreciate that messaging to stick to like, Hey, we're Native. We're not Native plus, plus this or that.

So I think that would be the most welcoming to Native students in the future.

Myra Ridhuan '27 (34:53)

Yeah, that makes complete sense. Thank you for sharing that perspective. For the interest of time, I'm going to move on to our final question, which is, what is your advice for current students and what is your hope for future Native and Indigenous students on Princeton's campus?

Christian Hernandez '22 (35:09)

That's a big one. That's a big one. I saw that one and I was like, oh, I'm going to have to answer this one. I'd say the first one is just like, explore Princeton's nature. Explore Princeton's nature as a Native. I know a lot of Natives come from places with lots of nature. And particularly, I'd just say, hey, out by the Institute for Advanced Study, there's the Institute Woods. That's where I spent so much of my time, just relaxing, getting away from people, you know having solitude. And that's a really good place. To the west of campus, it's a walk.

You know, I had a scooter. If you have a scooter or a bike, I just really recommend that because it gives you time to like sort of de-center yourself from like campus life or I'm in this new community. I don't understand that. And maybe bring a few friends out there too and just spend a Saturday doing that. And I would do that when I was really stressed. So I really recommend that. I think the other thing is like, don't be afraid to try to be Native enough. Like God made you

in his image, he made you the person you are from the background you are. And it's far more important to your identity. And I would say in God and in Jesus Christ in particular, and Natives, like, I know they have different backgrounds than that. But it's like who God made you as a person is like really special. You don't have to be like, oh, I'm only 50 % or I'm 100%. But I don't really fit here because these people are mostly white or they're mostly Black or whatever. It's like, no, you're who God made you to be. And like, if you can find your identity and who God made you and who God is, that was far more freeing for me where I didn't have to be afraid, oh can I say enough Native words in Coahuilatecan, you know, to prove myself like that I belong, I'm Native, you know, that sort of thing. So I just recommend that and like really look at your traditions, where you come from and hold onto them and don't have to like compensate because someone else has looks more whatever you think Native is to you. Yeah. And then I'd say search out God.

Read the Bible. Jesus Christ has a long history for the Aztecs and I think he kind of saved our society from some of our trends that we had. And so, you know, again, it's like, hey, explore, find your own ideas, you know, do that. But I just really recommend that like Jesus Christ kind of saved my family and saved my Native culture because we used to worship a deity that told us to kill each other. A giant serpent. That's kind of our tradition.

And Jesus is like, no, I died for you. Like, you don't have to kill each other to please the serpent. I died for you. And even though you've lied, even though you've murdered, you know, my grandfather, again, murdered people, murdered a person. And when we like came to trust in Jesus, that changed our society and it made us grateful. And now we know the God. We don't just know about, there's maybe many gods or maybe there's this god who's mean or we have to please him. like, we know the God who made the world and he's kind and he's loving. And Jesus is like, hey, trust in me, not in yourself. Trust in God.

And, you know, I will give you a future. I guess I will say it's like, there is a future, I think, for Natives, even beyond Princeton. If you can find and rest in that identity, for me, I think for others as well, it's like beyond Princeton, you'll be like, hey, I can still be a Native American in this world that's different. We're way outnumbered. Way, there's way, in a town of 300,000. There's probably like, you know 200 Natives here. And so, yeah, so finding your identity in something, not in comparing yourself to other people, I think is my larger point. And finding an identity in God, I think is the most fulfilling one you can have, whether Native or not.