Well Said: The Four Winds of sisterhood
On this episode of Well Said, the founding members of Carolina’s Alpha Pi Omega discuss why they started the first American Indian sorority in the country.
When Amy Locklear Hertel enrolled at Carolina in 1993, she wanted to join the Greek community, but as a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, she couldn’t find the right organization that fit what she was looking for culturally.
“We needed something uniquely matriarchal that represented our nature of our tribes,” said Hertel, who now serves as the chief of staff for Interim Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz.
She and three other students decided to create their own sorority to express themselves and to help retain American Indian women at Carolina.
Alpha Pi Omega was established in 1994 as the first American Indian sorority in the country. In 1995, the organization inducted its first pledge class — a group called the 15 Warrior Women. Since the induction of that first class, chapters have been established at North Carolina State University, UNC-Pembroke, Oklahoma State University, Dartmouth College and other universities across the country.
On this week’s episode, Hertel and other founding members — known as the Four Winds — tell us what it means to them to have a lasting legacy of leadership and sisterhood.
Listen to the episode on SoundCloud or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Read a transcript of this episode.
Join us every Wednesday for Well Said to hear from students, faculty, staff and alumni. Each week, you’ll learn what’s going on in classrooms, labs and around campus, and how it pertains to the local, national and international headlines.
