UB will celebrate the strong connections, history and contributions of indigenous people at the university with a special event on Aug. 31.

The Native American Welcome to UB will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the patio and stage at the front entrance to the Student Union across from The Commons.

The event will feature Native American food, music and a “smudging,” or purification, activity led by Pete Hill of Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties (NACS). Hill, a UB alum, is a member of the Heron Clan of the Cayuga Nation.

An announcement will be made about new Native American programming and events that will take place at UB this academic year.

Free and open to all members of the UB community, the event is a collaboration of UB’s Native American faculty, the Office of Inclusive Excellence and NACS.