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WEEK OF MARCH 13, 2025
VOLUME 159 | ISSUE 11
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Golden to host major summit between local museums, Native American tribes BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
tered over 12.5 million people globally and facilitated over 120,000 transplants. Sophomore Haley Withrow, the Mines chapter’s director of philanthropy and service, estimated Sigma Kappa has helped 1,500 people register over the last 10 years. The entire process takes about five minutes, as people simply review the eligibility requirements, fill out a few forms and submit their genetic samples via cheek swab. If they ever are contacted about donating their bone marrow, they do not automatically have to go through with the procedure and can opt out, Withrow and her sorority sisters clarified.
Just like the Golden History Museum & Park decided a few years ago, many local museums and public art agencies want to do more work with and better represent Native American communities. But, unfortunately, many do not know where to start. Thus, about 150 people from local museums, art agencies, municipalities and Native American tribes will gather in Golden March 19-20 for the Indigenous Connections Summit: “Beyond the Land Acknowledgement.” The event will bring organizations and tribes together to build relationships with one another, and for local officials to hear how best to represent and include Native American voices in public art, museums and other efforts, GHM Executive Director Nathan Richie described. Featured speakers include Steve LaPointe, who’s chair of the GHM Native American Advisory Board, and keynote speaker Tink Tinker, professor emeritus at the Iliff School of Theology. While most of the conference is invite-only, the public is welcome to attend the opening reception for “This is Native Art,” Golden History Museum’s newest exhibit. It was curated by Danielle SeeWalker and is composed of 50 art pieces by 35 living artists. The opening reception will be from 4:30-7 p.m. March 19 at the museum. “This is Native Art” will run through this year’s Autumn Fest, which will be Oct. 5. Additionally, Richie said the public should note GHM will be closed March 18-20 as staff members prepare for and attend the conference. The history park will be open during that time, and the museum will resume normal hours March 21.
SEE DONATION, P17
SEE SUMMIT, P14
MARDI GRAS CELEBRATED IN GOLDEN P2
FINDING PIECES OF IRELAND IN TNE METRO AREA
P12 Colorado School of Mines freshman Mary Hage swabs her cheek to register as a potential stem cell donor Feb. 27 during her sorority’s annual registration drive. Mines’ Sigma Kappa chapter hoped to register at least 200 year for the DKMS stem cell donor registry, and several chapter members who were eligible opted to register as well. PHOTOS BY CORINNE WESTEMAN
Mines sorority registers people for stem cell donation in effort to fight blood cancers BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
MINES TRACK EXCELS AT RMAC CHAMPIONSHIPS P18
In 2011, Colorado School of Mines alumna Jennifer Rotramel-Ronhovde was diagnosed with leukemia. She and her family sought a bone marrow donor, and her sorority sisters with Mines’ Sigma Kappa chapter hosted a stem cell donor registration drive in her honor, to generally raise awareness for the cause and help those like Rotramel-Ronhovde find donors. Rotramel-Ronhovde’s medical team helped her find a suitable donor, and she lived another 10 months after the donation. After her death, her sorority sisters started hosting the reg-
istration drive annually in her memory. On Feb. 24-28, they returned to the Mines student center, hoping to register another 200 people for the DKMS blood stem cell donor registry. Blood stem cells, which are distinct from embryonic stem cells, come from bone marrow. People with diseases or disorders that inhibit their ability to produce stem cells often need a transplant. According to DKMS, an international nonprofit bone marrow donor center based in Germany, 70% of people suffering from blood-related illnesses must rely on donors outside of their families to save their life. To that end, DKMS has regis-
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