The University of Miami’s Native and Global Indigenous student organization, Indigecanes, held a protest to voice their concerns about the Iron Arrow Honor Society and its impact on the Canes’ community.
On Wednesday, the Indigecanes Instagram, @indigecanes, announced their demonstration on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Lakeside Canopy, labeling it the “Indigenous Resistance.”
The post emphasized their mission, stating, “Demanding proper and adequate representation of Indigenous people at the University of Miami,” and featuring an illustration of a poster with the words, “Not your costume.”
Melanie Sousa, the president of Indigecanes, expressed her disappointment regarding the Iron Arrow Honor Society’s actions and practices since the time of their founding in 1926.
“My personal opinion is that it’s cultural appropriation. I do personally disagree with it. Me and other native students have had a strong stance against it. I think it has a very bad history,” Sousa said.
Iron Arrow is currently a sanctioned clan under the Miccosukee tribe and is highest accolade at the University of Miami.
It is open to everyone, but only taps a select group of students and faculty during Homecoming week and again in the spring. During their induction, students perform a sacred Indigenous ceremony in which they drum, wear traditional patchwork jackets and light a fire in the center of campus.
Emma Scharff, a member of Indigecanes, shared her thoughts on these sacred practices being performed by mostly non-Native students.
“I think that several of the aspects of Iron Arrow are extremely culturally insensitive. There have been lots of native people, especially our own students here on campus who have felt offended. It makes them feel uncomfortable and not safe,” Scharff said.
The society was established in 1926 by UM President Bowman Foster Ashe in collaboration with the Seminole Tribe, aiming to celebrate outstanding male students.
The organization faced legal challenges in 1976 when it was sued for violating Title IX by prohibiting the admission of women.
In response, the Iron Arrow Honor Society filed a countersuit to maintain its male-only status. President Edward Foote II ultimately intervened, stating that the society would not be allowed on campus if it continued to exclude women.
The first female members were inducted in 1985, marking a significant shift in the organization’s history.
Despite implementing changes including limiting the use of the ceremonial drum in the “tapping” ceremony and discontinuing student leadership titles (i.e. chief, son of chief and medicine man), many students feel that Iron Arrow has not done much to reduce their cultural insensitivity.
“We’ve sat down with them, we’ve talked with them about changing different practices. And although sometimes practices do change, they roll out really slowly,” Sousa said.
The Indigecanes’ signs at the protest called for students to “say no” to the honor and stated that their “culture is older than [Iron Arrow’s] costumes.”
As tensions escalated during the coinciding protest and ceremony, Sousa pointed out the microaggressions that her organization received from Iron Arrow members and its alumni.
“We’re here protesting and all we get from Iron Arrow members is hostility and bad looks,” she said. “Not even actual conversation is a sign that there is a repression and there is hostility on their part, which is really disappointing and unfortunate.”
Previously, in April 2022, the student senate passed a bill urging the University of Miami to sever ties with Iron Arrow and eliminate it as the highest honor society on campus to address concerns. However, the initiative did not materialize, as Patricia Whitely, the vice president of student affairs and a member of Iron Arrow, declined to sign the bill.
Sousa highlighted the challenges her organization faces, noting that many other students are unaware of the true nature of Iron Arrow.
“They don’t educate and they really do thrive off the fact that students don’t know what’s going on on campus,” she said. “People come up to us all the time being like, ‘Are you guys Iron Arrow?’ or ‘Is Iron Arrow a club for Indigenous people?’ The answer is no. Up until us, there was no space for Indigenous people on campus.”
Sousa pointed out the lack of genuine engagement from Iron Arrow, recalling how Indigenous students themselves were excluded from events held on Indigenous Peoples Day.
“If they really, truly cared about Indigenous students on campus, we would get invited to their meetings, we would hold events together, they would reach out. They don’t,” Sousa said, “It was the Miccosukee and Iron Arrow and no Indigenous students. You can see their intentions.”
At the time of publication, the Iron Arrow Honor Society has not responded to The Miami Hurricane.