National Native American Heritage Month Virtual Events Planned at UW

Several virtual events are scheduled Nov. 16-19 at the University of Wyoming in celebration of National Native American Heritage Month.

The week is filled with a photography contest, exhibitions and speakers. Among the sponsors is UW’s Native American Education, Research and Cultural Center (NAERCC). Other sponsors are UW’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Program and the UW Art Museum.

“We want everyone to remember that it is not just this month we celebrate being Indigenous; we take pride in our rich culture and identity every day,” says Reinette Tendore, UW’s NAERCC director and Native American Program adviser. “It also is a time that we want to educate and share knowledge of who we are and where we come from with the broader UW campus and communities.”

A social media photo contest, “Rock Your Mocs,” will run Monday, Nov. 16-Thursday, Nov. 19. Participants are urged to send photos of their moccasins using hashtags #RockYourMocs2020 or #UWyoArtMuseum, or visit the UW Art Museum at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum.

A “Material Tradition” exhibition will be on display Thursday, Nov. 19, at the UW Art Museum. Featured will be objects that are part of the global material tradition, with each containing a story. UW students will receive a box lunch, with photo ID, from noon-1 p.m. at the American Heritage Center.

Four speakers are scheduled to present during UW’s National Native American Heritage Month celebration. All will be virtual events:

 -- Monday, Nov. 16, 4-5 p.m.: Cinnamon Kills First, from Montana’s Northern Cheyenne Reservation. She is a cross-cultural communicator who helps bridge the gap between Indian Country and the rest of the world. She is committed to facing “hard truths” in order to bring about change. She owns Northside Advocacy LLC to support her work as an artist, writer, filmmaker, speaker, educator and advocate.

The Zoom link for her talk is https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/97587830943. The meeting ID is 975 8783 0943.

-- Tuesday, Nov. 17, 4-5 p.m.: Joey Montoya is a multimedia artist, clothing designer and entrepreneur whose work is aimed at increasing the visibility and resiliency of Indigenous peoples so they can create and fuel positive social change. He is the founder and owner of Urban Native Era -- based in Los Angeles -- a brand that focuses on spreading awareness about Indigenous issues through design, film and photography.

The Zoom link for his talk is https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/98491356169. The meeting ID is 984 9135 6169.

-- Wednesday, Nov. 18, 4-5 p.m.: Raye Zaragoza, a Japanese American and Mexican Indigenous woman, is an artist making music to fight for, represent and celebrate those left outside the spotlight. She is known for her tenacious feminist anthems and fearless protest folk music. Raised in New York City, Zaragoza’s album releases include “Fight for You” and her latest, “Woman in Color.”

The Zoom link for her talk is https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/93758757499. The meeting ID is 937 5875 7499.

-- Thursday, Nov. 19, noon-1 p.m.: Desi Rodriguez-Lonebear, an assistant professor of sociology and American Indian studies at the University of California-Los Angeles, will discuss the missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis and how Indigenous women have been targets of violence. Her talk will focus on the “continued erasure of Indigenous peoples” in national, state and local data systems. Rodriguez-Lonebear is a Northern Cheyenne tribal member and Chicana from Lame Deer, Mont.

The Zoom link for her talk is https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/97848921468. The meeting ID is 978 4892 1468.

For more information, call Tendore at (307) 766-8988 or email reinette@uwyo.edu.