NMU Hosts Indigenous Perspectives Symposium Nov. 1

Indigenous artists from across the region will gather at Northern Michigan University to share their perspectives on film, paintings, music, sculpture, literature and other arts. The inaugural Indigenous Perspectives Symposium is free to the public and scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1, in the Northern Center.

Registration is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. by honoring Anishinaabe ways of being, followed by general sessions and panelists' discussions until 4 p.m., when keynote speaker Jonathan Thunder (Red Lake Ojibwe) presents on his personal journey as an Indigenous artist.

"We are hosting this event to increase opportunities for creative collaborations across a wide variety of art mediums and presentations, from traditional to contemporary interpretations by sharing the story of Indigenous arts across NMU's service area and providing discussion perspectives on impacts to regional diversity and belonging," said Shawnrece Butler, NMU assistant vice president for Diversity and Inclusion.

Throughout the symposium, there will be opportunities for attendees to engage with various presenters, including participating in an Indigenous-focused mural art project. They are also invited to enjoy a decolonized diet lunch that will be available for purchase while listening to Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Helen Roy. Other notable presenters are:

• Caroline LaPorte (Little River Band of Ottawa Indians descendant), NMU Department Head of Center for Native American Studies
• William Johnson (Saginaw Chippewa), Director, Ziibiwing Center
• April Lindala (Grand River Six Nations), NMU Center for Native American Studies faculty member
• Candice Dalsing (Mescalero Apache Tribe descendant), co-owner of Deer Woman Productions and impact producer on film: "Bring them Home."

Thunder's art is infused with a blend of his personal lens and real-time world experiences that allows him to use a wide range of mediums. He is known for his surreal paintings, digitally animated films and art installations in which he addresses subject matter of personal experience and social commentary.

At the conclusion of the symposium, NMU will screen the new Lily Gladstone narrated film; "Bring Them Home/Aiskótáhkapiyaaya," from Thunderheart Films and The Redford Center. This film chronicles a decades-long initiative by members of the Blackfoot Confederacy to bring wild buffalo (Blackfeet: iinnii) back to the Blackfeet Reservation.

A thriving wild buffalo population would not only reconnect Blackfeet with a central part of their heritage, spirituality and identity, but would provide economic opportunities and healing for the community. Along the way, however, the initiative faces obstacles from ranchers who see the buffalo as a threat to the cattle ranches that dominate the land and are a legacy of colonization. The film will be shown at 6 p.m. in the Jamrich Hall Auditorium. A trailer is located here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAK3IYj2NqI

For more information, please reach out to NMU's Office of Diversity & Inclusion, at [email protected].