Yale Bulletin and Calendar

April 5-12, 1999

Volume 27, Number 27

Special events pay tribute to
Native American culture

A weekend-long celebration of Native American culture will be held on campus Friday-Sunday, April 9-11.

Highlighting the weekend will be a conference titled "Respecting Native American Cultures," which will take place both on campus and at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. The celebration will also include a Native American Day at the Peabody Museum of Natural History and a Powwow at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium.

The complex issues surrounding the teaching of Native culture and the education of Native American youths will be the focus of "Respecting Native American Cultures: A Conference on Education and Native American Studies."

Scholars representing a range of tribal communities will consider such questions as: "What can or should be taught about Native cultures?" "Should the education of Native youths be undertaken both within tribal communities and in mainstream institutions?" And, "How do these issues relate to what is taught about Native cultures to non-Natives?" These issues will be considered from three different perspectives: the tribal/national (including tribal colleges), the university, and the museum and research center.

Organized by Jace Weaver, associate professor of American studies and religious studies, the conference is sponsored by the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center; the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and its Collection of Western Americana; and NUMNAC, Claremont College of Theology.

Friday's activities will take place at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. Buses will depart for the museum and research center at noon and 3 p.m. from the plaza of the Beinecke Library, 121 Wall St. Participants can tour the facility 1:30-3:30 p.m. and see a special presentation of Drew Hayden Taylor's play "Toronto at Dreamer's Rock" at 3:30 p.m. The day will also include opening remarks by Jace Weaver and the keynote address by Richard West, director of the National Museum of the American Indian. Buses returning to New Haven will leave Mashantucket at 6 and 8 p.m.

Saturday's and Sunday's events will take place on the Yale campus. There will be panel discussions at the Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St.; a public reception and buffet supper at the Beinecke Library; and readings by Native American authors in Sudler Hall of William L. Harkness Hall, 100 Wall St.

The conference, including the reception and buffet supper, is open to the public free of charge. Although reservations are not required, individuals who plan to attend -- especially those who plan to take the bus trip to Mashantucket -- are urged to contact George Miles at the Beinecke Library at 432-2958 or george.miles@yale.edu.

"Native American Day" at the Peabody

The Peabody Museum will sponsor an afternoon of crafts, storytelling, music and performance during "Native American Day" to be held Saturday, April 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Activities throughout the day will include a performance by the renowned Thunderbird American Indian Dancers; a book signing and opportunity to meet with Dale Carson, author of "New Native American Cooking"; a performance by Native American flutist Mixashawn; a children's trading post; and crafts, demonstrations and more.

The day will also feature a talk by Delphine Red Shirt, a member of the Oglala Sioux, about her experiences growing up on a reservation in Nebraska. The author of the award-winning book "Bead on an Anthill: A Lakota Childhood," Red Shirt chaired the Nongovernmental Organization Committee on the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations. She has also worked extensively with indigenous groups and individuals, as well as grassroots organizations, which do not normally have access to the U.N.

Composer and conductor David Amram will present the Connecticut premiere of "Native American Portraits: A Musical Thank You to Native America" with members of the New Haven Symphony He will also demonstrate Cheyenne and Zuni melodies taught to him, and show how they were incorporated into the composition. He will also play Native flue from Canada, the United States and South America, and will tell stories about his 50 years of involvement with with the Native peoples who shared their music.

All Native American Day events are free with museum admission. The Peabody Museum is located at 170 Whitney Ave. For further information, call 432-5050 or visit the museum's website at www.peabody.yale.edu.

Powwow at Payne Whitney Gym

The final event of the weekend celebration will be an all-day powwow 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday, April 11, at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, 20 Tower Pkwy.

Native Americans from across the nation and Canada are expected to attend the event, which is open to the public free of charge (although a donation would be appreciated).

Highlighting the powwow will be a Native American dance contest, drumming sessions and Native American crafts. Those interested in participating in the dance contest should call 433-2906; for other information, call 432-9855.

The event has been organized by the Association of Native Americans at Yale College, a student-run organization that fosters a supportive and active environment for Native American undergraduates.

The Peabody events and Powwow are supported by BankBoston.

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