Native November Speaker Series
Join the Native American Task Force as they celebrate and kick off a month-long schedule of speakers celebrating Native American Heritage Month.
Every Monday from 10:00-Noon during November
Register in advance for this series at:
https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlfuusrD8jG9Y88yQsRuOvLiFdmBnysYd8
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
- November 1: Land Grab U
Participants will watch together the 40 minute video “Land Grab U Workshop 04-08-2021” featuring historian Robert Lee and journalist Tristan Ahtone (Kiowa) to learn about Land Grab U.org and the 1862 Morrill land-grant act’s relationship to Indigenous lands. Participants will then discuss ways in which land-grant universities might engage Native American Nations in consideration of the 1862 Morrill Act and expropriated Indigenous lands. Through four treaties and the Morrill Act, the University of Wisconsin-Madison ultimately received expropriated Menominee and Ojibwe lands in what would become eight counties (Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Marathon, Oconto, Polk, and Shawano): the 1836 Treaty of the Cedars and 1848 Treaty of Lake Poygan, both with the Menominee, and the 1837 Treaty of St. Peters and 1842 Treaty of LaPointe that included the Lac du Flambeau, the Lac Courte Oreilles, and the St. Croix Ojibwe, along with other bands and nations of the Lake Superior Ojibwe.
- November 8: From Historical Trauma to Healing
Historical actions throughout United States history continue to impact tribal communities today. The Indian boarding school era is one of many assimilation policies that have had lasting effects on all of the Tribal Nations in what is now known as Wisconsin. In this session, participants will hear stories about that experience, learn about the presence of boarding schools with some of Extension’s Tribal partners, and most importantly, learn about the resiliency of Tribal communities. Colleagues will share about Indigenous food sovereignty, health, and language reclamation efforts that are strengthening Tribal communities. - November 15: “An Archaeology Led by Strawberries: Reclaiming Storywork, & Indigenous Wellbeing” Special Guest Speaker Dr. Sonya Atalay
Dr. Atalay (UMass Amherst) presents her current work on a series of land-based archaeology and repatriation projects utilizing a community-based participatory approach with Indigenous youth
and elders. Centering Anishinaabe epistemologies and concepts of well-being, she explores how reclaiming traditional knowledge, ancestral remains, Indigenous language, and sacred sites can contribute to healing and well-being. She discusses her use of arts-based research and knowledge mobilization methods—including collaborative comics, storybaskets and counter mapping, and augmented reality augmentations—as part of Indigenous storywork, demonstrating how lessons drawn from reclaiming tangible and intangible heritage provide a model for imagining decolonial research futures.
- November 22: NIBI IS LIFE!Nibi is the Anishinabe word for water. In this session we will explore relationship, reciprocity, responsibility, and relevance (the four R’s) in developing culturally responsive programming. Relationship building provides the foundation for developing more culturally respectful ways of fostering effective partnerships that weave in the 4R’s. This shifts our “western” oriented Extension service model to one that fully integrates indigenous perspectives into all aspects of programming. This is Extension’s responsibility.
- November 29: Celebrate Our Partnerships in Tribal CommunitiesWhile the Division of Extension is accessible to all Tribal communities, there is a direct presence in four Tribal communities that will be highlighted. Participants will learn how these partnerships evolved and about the unique partnerships that exist today. This dynamic and culturally informed work has impacts not only locally for Tribal communities, but at the state and federal level as well. We close this month-long series with a celebration of our collective work.
