By PIP SWINGER | Staff Reporter
Walking past the Firstenburg Student Commons on Friday Nov. 8th, you may have heard some excitement coming from within. In a partnership with first-year University classes, The Center for Intercultural Learning and Affirmation, Office of Student Involvement, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Equitable Learning, and the Engaged Learning and Career Action Center have collaborated to present a series of cultural diversity events to showcase across the year, with rapper Doc Native being the final speaker of the semester. This event drew a crowd of 50 to 60 students who came to witness his words.
Doc Native, also known as Zachary Battiest, is an MTV TMA award winning singer-songwriter from the Seminole Tribe in Florida, when sponsors from WSUV reached out, he was more than happy to fly to Washington from Ft Lauderdale to talk to students on campus.
Manned with Domino’s pizza and a merch booth in the back corner, the event began with back to back videos of two popular songs of his, “Dream” performed live at the LA clippers halftime event with his brother Spencer Battiest and his debut song, “The Storm,” written at the request of his elders to continue telling their people story through his music.
Doc used his hour of speaking time to tell students about his story, motivations, and goals. Doc has been known to use his platform to collaborate with other artists making music that raises awareness to issues affecting native tribes such as his 2016 collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Doc also strives to use his presence to ally with other oppressed communities and advocate in solidarity with them, and encouraged students interested in activism to take time for healing.
Moving forward, Doc says that he wants to advocate for the many unrecognized types of grassroots music that are akin yet distinct from modern rap and hip hop, as well as focus on school and his acting career. After his speech, the performer stuck around to greet students, take photos, and answer questions. Shortly thereafter, Doc left campus to perform at a sold out show at the Portland Art Museum that same night.