Programs and Events

RGSS Feminist Night School 2025 :

Indigenous Activism: Models of Resistance for the 21st Century

The Task Force for Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement, the Hub for Black Affairs and Community Engagement, and the Center for Global Education invites you to join us for a 2-night webinar to hear from Indigenous activists working to create a more just world for everyone. Learn how you can contribute to this important work.

Both events are free, open to the public, and offer BCR credit.

Webinar Topics and Speakers

Monday, March 17, 5:30-7:00 pm EST: Activism with panelists working in North America and Oceania. Topics will include land rights, climate change, cultural preservation, food access, indigenous sovereignty, and education.  Register here for the Monday night webinar.

Monday Panelists

Ms. Stephanie BadSoldier Snow, a member of the Ho Chunk Nation and the Swan Clan of the Meskwaki Settlement, is an independent scholar, public speaker, and performer. Additionally, she has a degree in Anthropology with a focus on Native American studies. She currently serves as the Education Coordinator for the Meskwaki Nation and has previously worked as Assistant Director of Intercultural Affairs at Grinnell College. Stephanie has played a key role in the founding of the Meskwaki Food Sovereignty Initiative and continues to support its work. She is also a Water Protector, Water Walker, and member of Moms Clean Air Force, and is dedicated to healing through traditional practices and community engagement.

Dr. Kū Kahakalau is an award-winning Native Hawaiian educator, researcher, and cultural practitioner based in Kukuihaele on Hawaiʻi Island. She holds the first-ever Ph.D. in Indigenous Education and has developed several successful culture-based educational programs, including Hawaiʻi’s first Hawaiian-focused PK-12 charter school. As CEO of a Native Hawaiian social enterprise and board chair of EA Ecoversity, a culture-based higher education program, Dr. Kahakalau champions the importance of love, compassion, and respect in education. She has also been an active community leader, serving on multiple boards, including the Hawaiʻi Island Ethics Commission and Burial Council.

Marina Anderson is a Haida and Tlingít speaker, consultant, educator, and solutions-based strategist who focuses on cultural, social, economic, and environmental justice. She works to understand community needs and addresses them with sustainable solutions grounded in traditional ecological and social knowledge. Marina incorporates traditional practices such as harvesting, food preservation, carving, weaving, beading, fur and skin sewing, and storytelling into her daily life. She encourages continued practice of native traditions in all aspects of life. Her work aims to strengthen the health and well-being of both current and future generations.

Wednesday, March 19, 5:30-7:00 pm EST: Activism in Indiana and across the Midwest. Topics will include social justice, cultural preservation, education, and the impact of anti-DEI legislation.  Panelists include Tyler Buck, Michael  Kalauna Ing, and Logan York. Register here for the Wednesday night webinar.

Wednesday Panelists

Tyler Buck, a member of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, is an entrepreneur committed to cultural revitalization and promoting sobriety within his community. He serves as the Owner and CEO of Recovery Foam LLC and co-owns Auntie and Uncle’s Snack Shack. In addition to this, Tyler is heavily involved in community initiatives focusing on cultural revitalization and indigenous support. Tyler is also associated with the Sober Squad, a group promoting sobriety and cultural revitalization. His involvement in this group underscores his commitment to supporting and uplifting his community through cultural and sobriety initiatives.

Dr. Michael Ing (Kanaka Hawaiʻi) earned his PhD from Harvard University in 2011 and is a professor in Indiana University’s Department of Religious Studies. He writes about the knowledge of his ancestors—Hawaiian and Chinese. His current project is indigenizing the discipline of philosophy by developing the subfield of Hawaiʻi philosophy. Michael is also the director of Indiana University’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Program. 

Logan York is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and a citizen of the Tribe. He has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Miami University with minors in History and Archaeology. Logan serves as a representative on the Ohio Historic Preservation Advisory Board and over a dozen other boards and leadership teams. Logan came to work for the Tribe in April of 2022 after previously working for Rebecca Hawkins, the consulting archaeologist for the Miami Tribe. As THPO, he is part of the Cultural Resources Office team in the Miami Tribes ancestral homeland.

Attacks on human rights, land rights, cultural traditions, and moral systems are nothing new to indigenous peoples around the world. While some governments and organizations have partnered with indigenous peoples to protect their rights, we have seen renewed efforts by oppressive regimes, institutions, and corporate interests to attack minority and marginalized populations around the world. In these challenging times, we can learn from the work of Indigenous activists, both to understand their unique struggles and successes as well as to recognize shared challenges and join in solidarity to create a more just world. 

These panels align with The Hub’s work towards Black liberation in disrupting and dismantling systemic racism by educating our various communities on the struggles, strategies, and stories that are often silenced but have the potential to galvanize movements of resistance and revolution.

We invite Butler students, faculty, and staff, as well as the general public to engage in these meaningful dialogues to consider what Indigenous advocacy looks like in different parts of the world, what struggles we share, and how indigenous and non-indigenous allies can contribute to these important activists’ efforts. 

Native American Heritage Month Events 2024

Quick Menu:

• Oct. 27: Screening of the award-winning film Monkey Beach
• Oct. 28: Visiting Writer Series: Eden Robinson
• Oct. 29: Author Q&A with Eden Robinson
• Nov. 1: Día de los Muertos Celebration
• Nov. 6: Crafting Indigenous Histories with Digital Tools
• Nov. 19: Indigenous Fashion in the 21^st Century
  

Screening of the award-winning film Monkey Beach
Sunday, October 27 | 7:00-9:15 PM | PB 150

The film, based on Visiting Writer Series speaker Eden Robinson’s novel of the same name, is a supernatural mystery centering on a young Haisla woman who returns to her hometown and must try to solve the disappearance of her brother. The screening will open with a brief introduction of Haisla culture and end with a brief discussion of the film.

BCR Credit.
Free and open to the public.
Explore more information about the film here.
Questions? Contact Tom Mould: tmould@butler.edu.

Visiting Writer Series: Eden Robinson
Monday, October 28 | 7:30 PM | Shelton Auditorium, South Campus

Eden Robinson is an award-winning Indigenous writer from Canada. She is a member of  the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. Eden is the author of the short story collection Traplines (1995). Traplines won the Winifred Holtby Prize for best first work of fiction and was a New York Times Notable Book. Her second book Monkey Beach (2000), a novel, was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award. Monkey Beach was awarded with the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. Eden’s third novel, Blood Sports, was published in 2006 and revisits characters from Traplines.

Eden recently finished writing the Trickster-trilogy: Son of a Trickster (2017), Trickster Drift (2018) and, Return of the Trickster (2021) all published by Knopf Canada. Son of a Trickster was shortlisted for the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Moreover, Son of a Trickster was a finalist of the 2020 edition of Canada Reads. Trickster Drift won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize in 2019.

BCR Credit.
Free and open to the public, no tickets required. View more information here.
Questions? Contact Bryce Berkowitz: bberkowitz@butler.edu.

Author Q&A with Eden Robinson
Tuesday, October 29 | 9:30 AM | Collaborative Space, first floor of Irwin Library

Award-winning indigenous writer Eden Robinson will meet with students to talk about her work in a small group setting. This is a great opportunity for students to talk directly with the author.

Questions? Contact Tom Mould: tmould@butler.edu.

Día de los Muertos Celebration
November 1 | 5:00 PM | Main lobby of Irwin Library

Between November 1-4, millions of candles on altars and in cemeteries across Mexico light up in celebration of Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. Families decorate grave sites and create ofrendas (altars) at home to honor departed loved ones and guide their spirits home. A national holiday in Mexico, it has become increasingly popular in the US as well–not only in Latine communities, but also with the general public. But what are the origins of this rich and colorful tradition?

Come celebrate Día de los Muertos and the holiday’s indigenous roots at the presentation and dedication of BU’s community altar. Learn about the history and symbolism of the elements that make up a traditional ofrenda and its significance in indigenous communities today. Customary foods like pan de muerto, chocolatl, and tamales will be served.  We invite all to participate in the dedication of the altar by writing notes to departed loved ones and/or bring pictures of them.

BCR Credit.
Irwin Library will host the altar November 1-4.
Questions? Contact Ageeth Sluis: asluis@butler.edu.

“Crafting Indigenous Histories with Digital Tools” by Dr. Jennifer Guiliano, IU Indianapolis 
Wednesday, November 6 | 4:30 PM | GH 104

Discover Indiana, a project of the Public History Program at Indiana University Indianapolis, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, and the Indiana Historical Society, uses the Omeka+Curatescape platform to distribute interpretive stories about the history, architecture, culture, and people of the state of Indiana (USA) on the web. Working with eleven public libraries and nine historical societies and museums over two years, Discover Indiana assisted in the production of meaningful historical content and also shaped how organizations think about the stories they will tell in the future.

In this presentation, Dr. Guiliano highlights how the prioritization of Indigenous history in the state of Indiana challenged common narratives of state founding and community settlement. She will demonstrate how digital history offers the opportunity to augment existing cultural heritage narratives to recenter Indigenous experiences and histories.

BCR Credit.
Questions? Contact Molly Nebiolo: mnebiolo@butler.edu.

“Indigenous Fashion in the 21^st Century” with model Gavi Stroemer
Tuesday, November 19 | 7:00 PM | PB156

Join us for an opportunity to learn about the Indigenous fashion scene hitting the mainstage in America from an indigenous model in the industry. Gavi Stroemer, Nakota Sioux from Sitka, Alaska, has appeared in Vogue numerous times in her career as a model and was recently interviewed for the magazine’s October’s issue. Stroemer will be sharing her personal experiences working with the industry’s top Indigenous designers such as Kayla Lookinghorse, Jammie Okuma. She will also talk about moving away from rural Alaska and her local community to NYC.

Gavi is bringing select pieces from a few of her favorite designers that will be showcased during the event (she is even being dressed for the event by Jammie Okuma herself). Come learn about the fantastic Native American artists who are contributing so significantly to the current fashion seen in NYC fashion week, LA’s Getty and Autry Museum’s show, the Swaia fashion show in New Mexico, and more.

BCR Credit.
Questions? Contact Tom Mould: tmould@butler.edu or Mattey Stroemer mstroemer@butler.edu.