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February 27, 2001 NATIONALLY KNOWN ARTISTS TO SPEAK AT FIRST NATIONS CONFERENCE 
The third biennial First Nations Conference will be held in the Boise State University Student Union Building March 14-17. Registration for the conference begins at 7:45 a.m. each day, Thursday through Saturday. An annual Pow Wow presented by the Inter-Tribal Native Council will begin at noon on Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17, in the Student Union Jordan Ballroom. For a complete schedule of events visit the Web site at www.boisestate.edu/firstnations. The conference will focus on issues crucial to indigenous communities in Idaho including health and medical care, education, literature, art, culture, spirituality, linguistics/languages, sovereignty/nationhood, land and environmental issues, and the broad scope of political and economic concerns. "One of the main reasons for the conference is that we want to make Boise State more diverse; we want to attract more Indian students" said Larry McNeil, Boise State assistant professor of art and conference co-chair. "One of the questions we are going to address is, what are their needs as far as getting a four-year education?" "We want to share native experiences with the non-native community. We want people from all walks of life to experience the conference," said Gretchen Cotrell, Boise State associate professor of social work and conference co-chair. The conference is free to Boise State students with student ID. Each of the main keynote addresses is free to the public, but there is a registration fee to attend the workshops. Cost is $30 general, $10 for Boise State faculty and staff, and free to seniors over 65. The Pow Wow is free to all. Scheduled speakers include: 
Sherman Alexie, author, poet, screenwriter and director has been hailed as one of the best young writers of his generation. In June 1999, The New Yorker named him one of the top 20 writers of the 21st century. Alexie wrote and produced the feature film Smoke Signals based on his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The film won the Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Alexie is also the author of seven books of poetry, and the winner of the World Heavyweight Championship Poetry Bout three years in a row — 1998, 1999 and 2000. Through his works he touches on issues such as race relations, identity and breaking stereotypes. He blends his experiences into thought-provoking, humorous and often outrageous pieces that compel the reader to look at the world from a different perspective and see it for all of its disappointments and possibilities. 
Joy Harjo, author, poet and musician, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of The Americas. In 1998, Harjo received a Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Award to work with the nonprofit group Atlatl to bring literacy resources to the American Indian community. Harjo’s music is a blend of influences that speak of community, love for people, for all creatures, for history and the need to sing with and of the sacred. C. Maxx Stevens, artist, educator and arts administrator has taught at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, R.I., the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., and is currently the associate dean and instructor at the White Mountain Arts Academy in Canada. Stevens is doing an installation piece at the Boise Art Museum in conjunction with the conference. The exhibition runs March 14-May 19. The conference is sponsored by Boise State University, The Idaho Humanities Council, Hewlett Packard and Holland & Hart LLP. Contacts: Media Contact:
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