Muwekma-tah Ruk

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Welcome to Muwekma-tah Ruk!

We at the house are pleased and happy to see you here visiting our new and updated site. Feel free to have a look around and feel free to ask any of the crazy residents questions. Blah, blah, blah...

Insiders View/Logistics:

We at Muwekma proudly support 31 students at our house including 10, count 'em, TEN Native frosh. The rooms include 3 singles (usually reserved for staff), 8 doubles, 3 triples, and new to this year's crowd one quad.

We also have:

  • A computer lab on the second floor with two PowerMasc, one PC, a scanner and a blank and white laser printer
  • A collection of baskets for your enticement
  • A TV, VCR, DVD-player, and a foosball table in the lounge,
  • A volleyball court, whose lucious sand we try to defend every spring quarter, and a barbeque pit outside the side door.

Muwekma is a self-op house, where we have a chef (whose name is Sally) who comes in and cooks great meals for us five days a week. On weekends we have full access to the open kitchen and can request for our favorite foods to be stocked in the fridge, freezer, pantry and cupboards.

Background:

Muwekma-Tah-Ruk is the Native American Theme House for Stanford University. The name comes from the Muwkma-Ohlone tribe in the area, which means, "House of the People". It is located on the Lower Row right next to Braun Music Center in what used to be Lathrop House. Muwekma has been at it's current location since 1988, the longest it has remained in one location since the Native American Theme was awarded a house.

The house has a history, starting in 1971 when the Loro-Mirlo complex in Florence Moore Hall was designated with the Native American Theme. From there the House moved to Soto in Wilbur Hall from 1972-1974. But with the low numbers of Native Americans in these dorms and the dominence in dorm funding for Native-themed events, the University moved the Native Theme to Gavilan in 1974-75 as a "Concentration" house. Many of the students didn't even realize this until two quarters later. Then in 1976 the Native American Theme moved to the Roble basement, which the students had come to know as "The Pentouse." There the Theme stayed for 12 years, while the Native students were constantly a minority in their own theme dorm. This didn't even improve as the Theme was moved to Robinson in Governor's Corner in 1986-87. During this time the number of Native students in the dorm was merely three students in the whold dorm.

It was during after this period of movement and lack of a unified voice that drove the students to create a Theme House in which the students would be able to have a stable location where they wouldn't be moved around anymore, and be able to make the administrative decisions to bring Cultural Themed events to campus using house funds and space. So the students of the Stanford American Indian Organizaion (SAIO) got together and drafted a proposal to the Office of Residential Education (ResEd)for the establishment of what is now Muwema-Tah-Ruk.

But the story does not end there. In 1998, ResEd announces plans to move the Native House from it's current location to Yost over in Governor's Corner. The Native Community, the House, and the AIANNHP Program Office, along with many sympathetic people from alumni, staff, friends, the Muwekma-Ohlone Tribe, and other students of color banned together to petition for the house to remain where it is. Thanks to these active peoples and their efforts, Muwekma-Tah-Ruk stands proud in it's centralized location and a smaller, more "home-like" feel to it.