By Jon Swedien

The event, with food, traditional dance, gospel and speakers promoting Anyuak heritage(Gambella Issues) and diversity awareness. Minnesota State's Anyuak (Anuak) population has held many events displaying their unique culture to the MSU and Mankato communities. Saturday, MSU's Anyuak held the second annual Anyuak/Gambella Cultural Day Celebration. The free event
held in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom was, as most Anyuak events are, a little bittersweet.

The event included lively dancing, traditional African food and other displays of Anyuak culture. These activities are a part of the Anyuaks' efforts to hold on to their culture as they assimilate into the U.S. Wrapped up in all culture, however, was a hard pill to swallow because the event also included descriptions about the plight of the Anyuak in their homelands of Ethiopia and Sudan.

"You're a very special group standing up to a sovereign government [Ethiopia] that is trying to wipe your tribe off the face of the earth," said Doug McGill, a journalist and the keynote speaker of the event.

McGill said there are about 100,000 Anyuak in the world but about one-tenth of the population lives in refugee camps after fleeing the violence in their homeland.

The Ethiopian government is arming various militias with hostility toward the Anyuak and at times using its own troops to carry out attacks and repression against the Anyuak, McGill said. He also said the Gambella region of Ethiopia, where many Anyuak live, contains many natural resources - oil, gold and 80 percent of Ethiopia's water. MSU Anyuak student Okony Cham said the Anyuak, in addition to themselves, also stands up for other tribes in the Gambella region.

Retired social worker and senior adviser of the Anuak Justice Council Jill Anderson also spoke at the event. Anderson outlined how she and Anyuaks started the Anuak Justice Council, began informing governmental groups about the Anyuaks' situation in Ethiopia and started lobbying them to help. Anderson said three years ago people in Washington D.C. and the United Nations had never heard of the Anyuak. Now, many are familiar with the group.

The Anuak Justice Council formed after December 13, 2003. According to various human rights organizations including the Human Rights, Ethiopian National Defense (ENDF) Soldiers killed 420 Anyuaks on that particular date.

McGill and Anderson both said Anyuaks living in Minnesota received phone calls from family and friends in Gambella. Through their receivers they could hear the killings during their phone calls, both said.

McGill said it was important that the Anyuak hang on to their traditional culture.
Cham also said the event was not a one-time deal.

"We're going to continue at MSU," Cham said. "If we get people like we did last night [to come to Anyuak events] that's what we need to do."

Cham said the event was not simply about making the Anyuak look good so much as presenting the issues facing his Anyuak cultural community to the MSU/Mankato community.

Ajulu Akway presented an Anyuak Christian’s music tribute to the students massacred in Virginia Tech. during the opening the event.The song says: "Because the son of God Jesus loves us, let us give him our hearts. His love for us never fails;
I have gone now, bye, bye, we shall meet at the best place” which is over there. “Heaven” We have all been redeemed, light shines on us and let’s forget the darkness and come to light."

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(Photo: Doug McGill holding his new book "Here" included stories about the struggle of the Anuak people, Photo taken by ANJ Reporter) Jon Swedien is a MSU Reporter Staff Writer