The ceremony continued, and participants soon notified staff members at Dejope, which takes its name from a Ho-Chunk word for the Madison area.

Officials had not yet identified the people involved in the incident, McGlone said, but believe since they were inside a dorm room that they are likely UW-Madison students. McGlone encouraged anyone with information about the incident to contact the UW Dean of Students office.

The campus’ Hate and Bias Incident Team is planning to send a message to students about the incident soon, McGlone said.

Disruptive and disorderly conduct can result in student discipline, McGlone said, but officials have not decided if the people involved in this incident will face sanctions.

Nelis said she would like to see them disciplined.

“A lot of us were shocked,” said Nelis, a member of the Bad River Ojibwe. “I’m absolutely disgusted with what happened.”

She also hoped it would lead to a broader conversation about the experiences of Native American students at UW-Madison, who number in the dozens on the campus of nearly 30,000 undergraduates.