Cameron Roman remembers being mesmerized by the heartbeat rhythm of Native drums. In seventh grade, his spiritual counselor at Indian Community School, Mitch Walking Elk, caught him skulking outside one of the drum practice rooms.
“He called me into the room and sat me down,” Roman explains. “I didn’t get to sing or drum that day, but I got to sit there at the drum and watch everybody practice. This experience gave me the bug.”
That sense of deep connection to his Native roots from an early age has carried into adulthood. Roman is now a Ph.D. candidate in Marquette’s Department of Philosophy, studying social and political theory and Native American philosophy with a focus on necropolitics. He has also been performing with Native drum group Little Priest since 2021, playing at powwows and other cultural events around Wisconsin and Illinois.
This spring, the group got an unexpected invitation to perform at the June 20 opening of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s south side.
“There were other drum circles that could have been at the grand opening,” Roman says. “But I believe the invitation came out of the fact that our drum has been consistently trying to show up and support people in the Chicago community for years now. I take it as a source of pride that we have been able to demonstrate a level of quality that people recognize who we are and the kind of performances that we strive to put on.”
Little Priest, alongside the Blackhawk Performance Company, was the second act in the celebratory lineup during the opening weekend of the Obama Presidential Center, a cultural and civic campus created to commemorate the legacy of former President Barack Obama while also serving as a public gathering space and community resource. They performed for 45 minutes, singing songs that illuminate stories of Native American culture and experience.
“We left Milwaukee at about 6:45 in the morning, and everything felt like a bit of a blur,” Roman remembers. “We had an easy trip down to Chicago and then once we were at the center, it was a really beautiful, organized chaos because there were so many people coordinating the event. There was a sense of an orchestra to it, but it was also super chaotic looking.”
Tracie Sparks, director of professional learning and strategic initiatives within the Division of Student Affairs, says it’s always exciting anytime a Marquette student is recognized on a national stage.
“Seeing a Native student and someone from my own Nation, the Oneida Nation, be a part of an event of this significance is especially meaningful,” Sparks says. “For me, Cameron represents something much larger than one incredible accomplishment. He is part of a long tradition of Native students who have come to Marquette, grown as leaders and then gone on to strengthen their communities in meaningful ways.
“As a fellow Oneida citizen, there is also a personal sense of pride. Seeing Cameron represent both his culture and his scholarship on a stage like the opening of the Obama Presidential Center is not only a proud moment for Marquette, but for our tribal community as well.”
Roman takes a moment to reflect on the soundtrack of his childhood and what the echo of Native drumbeats means to him.
“I think one of my earliest memories, is falling asleep on my mom’s lap at Milwaukee’s Indian Summer Festival,” Roman recalls. “I don’t remember anything about it visually, but just the feeling of warmth and comfort, but then hearing the sound of the drum at this powwow. That sound in so many ways — it’s safe. It’s grounding. It’s home.”
