Boise
State University’s fourth First Nations Conference, titled
“Indigenous Visions: Honoring Traditions, Creating Futures,”
will be held Friday, Sept. 24. The free daylong conference
begins at 9 a.m. in the Student Union Jordan Ballroom. Free
parking is available in the Student Union visitor lot —
participants should indicate they are guests of the First
Nations Conference.
The conference will focus on issues crucial to indigenous
communities in Idaho and the Northwest, as well as concerns
pertinent to all Native peoples and community members.
A roundtable discussion and film will be presented from
1:30 to 4:00 p.m. on the subject of the "S" word. Ruby
Bernal, a local Native activist, will speak about her work
of several years to eliminate the word "squaw" (the "S"
word) from geographical sites in Idaho, of which there are
approximately 200. A film on the subject, entitled "The 'S'
Word", produced by Sonya Rosario, will be shown. Discussion
will follow, including discussants, Deaun Lone Bear and
Cedric DeCory, two First Nations leaders in our local
community.
Keynote speakers are:
• Sandra Sunrising Osawa, a member of the Makah Indian
Nation in Washington, will speak at 9 a.m. followed by a
screening from one of her films. Osawa is an independent
film producer. The first Native American independent to
produce for commercial television, she produced a series on
Native Americans that aired in 1975 on NBC. The 10-part
series earned her an Outstanding Producer Award. She now
owns her own production company in Seattle, Upstream
Productions. Osawa’s credits include: “Lighting the 7th
Fire,” “On & Off the Res with Charlie Hill,” “Usual and
Accustomed Places” and “Pepper’s Pow Wow.”
• Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, a contemporary artist born in
Montana on the Flathead Reservation of the confederated
Salish and Kootenai tribes, will speak at 6:30 p.m. She
explores subject matter that in one way or another relates
to heritage and the issues that make up the historical and
contemporary lives of American Indians. Her presentation is
in conjunction with an exhibit of her recent works on paper
that runs through Nov. 3.
Other artistic exhibitions include:
• “Dog Head Stew,” consisting of the works of 24 artists
celebrating Native American traditions and cultural
persistence. The portfolio invites personal and political
expression honoring or criticizing past and present
representations of Native American culture. The title is
based on a story where Indians throwing a feast pretend to
live up to the “savage” stereotype in order to rid
themselves of unwanted white dinner guests.
• “Wannabe Nation,” by Jesse Cooday, a contemporary artist
of Tligit descent who lives and works in New York City.
“The First Nations Conference is a triennial cultural
gathering at BSU designed to inform and entertain the
community — Native and non-Native — by sharing the work of
prominent Native artists and presenting educational speakers
and panels on key issues that face the Native communities of
Idaho,” said Gretchen Cotrell, conference co-chair. “It is
an opportunity for the
communities to meet, enjoy and discuss works and issues, and
experience the cultural richness of the people of the First
Nations of Idaho and the United States.”
The conference is free to all. It is sponsored by the Boise
State University Cultural and Ethnic Diversity Board.
More
information can be found at
http://www.boisestate.edu/firstnations/
-30-
Contacts: Larry McNeil, conference co-chair, 426-4110,
lmcneil@cableone.net
Gretchen L. S. Cotrell, conference co-chair, 426-3145,
gcotrell@boisestate.edu
Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, communications and marketing, (208)
426-3275,
kcraven@boisestate.edu
