Indigenous Perspectives: History of Native America

Join us to learn about Native American history, culture and traditions first-hand from the perspectives of Indigenous educators.

Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) celebrates the rich history and vibrant culture and traditions of the diverse American Indian and Alaska Native communities throughout the United States each November. It is a time to honor the resilience of Native Nations and enrich peoples understanding of our invaluable achievements and contributions throughout history and today.

As the Mitchell Museum observes NAHM, we acknowledge the importance of cultural representation in education. To continue to provide accurate teachings of Native American people and cultures, we are offering a series of virtual discussions and educational experiences this month. The Museum invites both Native and Non-Native educators, school administrators, and parents to join us to learn about Native American history, culture and traditions first-hand from the perspectives of nationally recognized, award-winning Indigenous educators.

David O’Connor, M.S. (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) is the American Indian Studies Consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. He supports school districts’ efforts to teach the history, culture, and sovereignty of Tribal Nations. He offers consultation on teaching Native students and liaison to Wisconsin’s Tribal Nations, Wisconsin Indian Education Association (WIEA), Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC), and the Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations. David is the recipient of the 2020 Native American 40 under 40 Award from the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development and a 2021 Indian Educator of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Indian Education Association.

In this session, David will discuss the histories, cultures, tribal sovereignty, and treaties of the American Indian nations of the United States. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about some historical experiences and contemporary issues of Indigenous peoples and nations through histories, language, literacy, and storytelling. David will provide information, resources, such as books, videos, and other materials to learn more about Native peoples, communities, and nations for participants.

This is a free virtual program open to our members, friends, and visitors presented via Zoom. As we continue to work on developing more programs, please consider making a donation to the museum. https://gichigamiin-museum.org/donate/

For more information about this program, please contact: info@gichigamiin-museum.org | (847) 475-1030 | www.mitchellmuseum.org/events