The following is a press release from the University of Albany, providing readers the opportunity to sign up for an online Zoom meeting/discussion forum on Monday, April 26. The topic of discussion is: Indigenous Peoples of the Northeast: Past, Present and Future. Following is information from the news release:
ALBANY- You may have read the news that the University at Albany has decided to rename its Indian Quad Residence Hall as Indigenous Quad.
In a story published in the Times Union on March 5, 2021, Larry Rulison wrote, “UAlbany officials received a student petition in June asking that [the] Indian Quad be renamed [the] Indigenous Quad,” Rulison said. “Also [asking] to create a task force that would identify and rename other buildings and campus landmarks that evoke racism.”
Following up on that news, the campus invites the community to learn more from some of the leading scholars and voices from Indigenous communities in the Northeast. Please join us for this online discussion. Following is information concerning the forum:
Indigenous Peoples of the Northeast: Past, Present and Future.
Featured guest speakers include:
- Mohawk Storyteller & Teacher Kay Olan.
- Director of Cultural Affairs, Stockbridge Munsee Community Heather Bruegl.
- Abenaki Storyteller & Author, Greenfield Center Press, Ndakinna Education Center Dr. Joseph Bruchac.
- University of Albany History professor and event moderator Dr. Maeve Kane.
The forum will be held on Monday, April 26 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
To register, please link to: https://albany.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkfu-prD0tE9KWrUJ3tFR0aJqKllkERrTv
Following is guest information for the April 26 meeting:
Kay Olan:
Kay Olan (Ionataie:was), a Mohawk educator and storyteller, [who] taught elementary school in New York state for more than 33 years. During that time, she was often asked to tell the stories that were passed down through the oral tradition of her people and to give cultural presentations about the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) to various community, school and college groups.
Upon retiring from teaching, she moved to Kanatsiohareke, a traditional Mohawk Community located in Central New York State. She lived and worked there for almost three-years coordinating and promoting culturally related conferences, lectures, workshops and programs including the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Language Immersion Program.
Heather Bruegl:
A member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and first-line descendant of the Stockbridge Munsee, Bruegl is a graduate of Madonna University in Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in U.S. History.
Dr. Joseph Bruchac:
As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States.
He founded the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press, and has published more than 120 books for children and adults, including the best-selling Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children series.
The New York State Writers Institute supports local, independent booksellers. You may purchase Keepers of the Earth at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza.
The event is sponsored by The University Life Council and The University Senate, with gracious support from the Officer of the University President, Departments of Anthropology, English, and History.
The event is also co-sponsored by The Albany Green Scene, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Intercultural Engagement and Equity, the New York Writers Institute, and the Institute for Global Indigeneity.
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