Native American Center to celebrate heritage month
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's Native American Educational and Cultural Center will host a variety of events through the month of November in celebration of Native American Heritage Month.
The center serves as the cornerstone for celebrating Native American cultures on campus and in the community.
This year, events will highlight the diversity of tribal nations and the importance of preserving the traditional knowledge. Across the United States, there are 565 federally recognized tribal nations, each with its own distinct cultural traditions. Representatives from the Potawatomi, Shawnee, Navajo, Muscogee, Inupaiq, Northern Cheyenne and Miami tribal nations will provide historical and contemporary views of issues impacting their global communities, said center director Felica Ahasteen-Bryant.
Scheduled events include:
* 3-4:30 p.m. Oct. 25. Stewart Center, Room 318. Jason Wesaw, of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, will conduct ceramic art demonstrations and share stories of his artwork that is devoted to the preservation of the Potawatomi culture. Wesaw is the featured artist at the Eiteljorg Museum's artist-in-residence program for October.
* 6-7:30 p.m. Nov. 1. Stewart Center, Room 218 ABC. The opening celebration for Native American Heritage Month will kick off with a Native American community drum circle featuring Tony Showa, Native Navajo drummer and educator. Reception will immediately follow.
* 6-8 p.m. Nov. 2. Pflendler Hall 241. "Tecumseh's Vision," a documentary will be featured on the prophet, his brother and their connection to Indiana history. A discussion will follow.
* Nov. 3-5. The Native American Educational and Cultural Center will host "Wiping Away the Tears" symposium. The event will focus on the Battle of Tippecanoe. Susan Harjo, member of the Cheyenne and Muscogee tribes, poet, writer, and advocate for Native American sovereignty and preservation and protection of sacred sites, will give the keynote address. The event is held in collaboration with the Office of Vice President for Research, Office of the Provost, and the College of Liberal Arts. For registration and more information visit http://www.purdue.edu/naecc/wipingawaythetears.html
* 3-4:30 p.m. Nov. 8. Stewart Center, Room 214 AB. Ishamael Hope, member of the Inupaiq and Tlingit nations, will speak on Alaskan Native Traditions. Hope is the featured artist at the Eiteljorg Museum's artist-in-residence program for November.
* 11:30-2 p.m. Nov. 17. Shreve Hall, Jade Room. 'After the Mayflower,' a part of PBS's American Experience "We Shall Remain: America Through Native Eyes," is a documentary on the Wampanoag Nation and the settlers in the 1620s. A discussion will follow after the film. This event is held in collaboration with the cultural awareness and language programs in Housing and Food Services.
* 10-11:30 a.m. Nov. 18. Stewart Center, Room 322. Mike Wilson, member of the Tohono O'odham tribe and human rights activist, will talk about the effects of the U.S. border enforcement policy in southern Arizona and his work on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. The event is held in collaboration with the Latino Cultural Center, Native American Student Association, and Purdue Alliance for Immigration Rights Student Organization.
* 12-12:50 p.m. Nov. 29. Dean's Auditorium, Pfendler Hall, Room 241. Dr. Corey Welch of the Northern Cheyenne nation will present a Native American perspective on evolution. The event is also sponsored by the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.
* 3-4:30 p.m. Dec. 1. Stewart Center, Room 310. Katrina Mitten, member of the Miami tribe of Oklahoma and bead artist, will demonstrate traditional bead working and discuss her family history in her artist presentations. Mitten is the Eiteljorg Museum's featured artist in residence for the month of December.
Writer: Rebekah Piotrowicz, 765-496-3006, rpiotrow@purdue.edu
Source: Felica Ahasteen-Bryant, 765-494-4540, fahastee@purdue.edu