Special thanks to our sponsors: MassHumanities, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Local Cultural Councils of Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont-Hawley, Colrain, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Goshen, Leyden, and Shelburne.

This panel of Indigenous leaders and scholars delves into the intricacies and complications regarding Native appropriation. The panel explores how these narratives affect Native and non-Native communities today and the possible steps to educate, decolonize, and make changes using an Indigenous lens.

Panelists:

• Lawrence Bacca, Pawnee,

• Julie Dye, Pokagon Band Potawatomi Nation

• Vincent Schilling, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe

• Tomantha Sylvester, Sault St. Marie Ojibwe

• Brittney Walley, Nipmuc

• Adrienne Keene, Cherokee Nation

This event was curated and moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Founder and Co-Director.

Special thanks to our sponsors: MassHumanities, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Local Cultural Councils of Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont-Hawley, Colrain, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Goshen, Leyden, and Shelburne.

The Living Presence forum continues conversations with Indigenous community members and allies regarding issues we face today as Native peoples. This conversation has a panel with Native American screenwriters on the importance of seeing Indigenous narratives on screen. The panelists explore how these narratives affect Native and non-Native communities today and the possible steps to educate, decolonize, and make changes using an Indigenous lens.

Panelists include:

• Vera Starbard, T’set Kwei, Tlingit and Dena’ina

• Yatibaey Evans, Ahtna, Athabascan

• Migzi Pensoneau, Ponca, Ojibwe

• Ginew Benton, Ojibwe

• Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Nipmuc

This event was curated and moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Founder and Co-Director, and was livestreamed via Howlround.

Special thanks to our sponsors: MassHumanities, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Local Cultural Councils of Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont-Hawley, Colrain, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Goshen, Leyden, and Shelburne.

The Living Presence forum continues conversations with Indigenous community members and allies regarding issues we face today as Native peoples. A panel of scholars and local Indigenous authors will discuss the importance of our stories in literature. We will explore how these narratives affect Native and non-Native communities today and the possible steps to educate, decolonize, and make changes using an Indigenous lens. View Resources here >>

Panelists include:

• Dr. Debbie Reese, Nambe Pueblo

• Yvonne Tiger (ABD), Creek Seminole Cherokee

• Professor Eric Gansworth, Onondaga

• Morgan Talty, Penobscot

• Christopher Newell, Passamaquoddy

• Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Nipmuc

This event was curated and moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Founder and Co-Director, and was livestreamed via Howlround.

Special thanks to our sponsors: MassHumanities, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Local Cultural Councils of Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont-Hawley, Colrain, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Goshen, Leyden, and Shelburne.

On November 13, a conversation was held with a panel with Native American scholars, playwrights, and actors on the importance of seeing our narratives on stage and screen.

Panelists Include:

• Larissa FastHorse

• Carolyn Dunn

• Tomantha Sylvester, Sault St. Marie Ojibwe

• Rebecca Podleski

• Jasmine Goodspeed, Nipmuc

• Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Nipmuc

This event was curated and moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Founder and Co-Director, and was livestreamed via Howlround.

Special thanks to our sponsors: MassHumanities, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Local Cultural Councils of Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont-Hawley, Colrain, Conway, Cummington, Deerfield, Goshen, Leyden, and Shelburne.

On March 27th, A panel of scholars and local Indigenous people was formed to discuss how the colonizer lens on our local history in public spaces can further the extinction narrative. The panel explored how these narratives affect Native and non-Native communities today and the possible steps to educate, decolonize, and make changes using an Indigenous lens. View Resources here >>

Panelists Included:

• Jean O’Brien, White Earth Ojibwe Nation

• Tim Johnson, Six Nations

• Cedric Woods, Lumbee

• Maulian Dana, Penobscot

• Tomantha Sylvester, Sault St. Marie Ojibwe

This event was moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Co-Director, with an opening by Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Ohketeau Co-Director, and livestreamed by Howlround.

On September 19, Ohketeau Cultural Center and Double Edge Theatre co-produced the fifth panel of the Living Presence of Our History. This Living Presence Conversation featured an incredible panel of Indigenous artists and allies creating art to bring contemporariness, awareness, and recognition to current struggles in Native communities across Turtle Island. View Resources here >>

Panelists include: 

• Nayana LaFond, Anishinaabe, Mi’kmaq, Abenaki
  Nayanaarts - Paintings, Art, Gallery, Painting

• Sarah Whalen-Lunn, Iñupiaq
  Alaska Native artist Sarah Whalen Lunn — Inkstitcher Studios

• Bomgiizhik (Isaac Murdoch), Ojibwe
  Isaac Murdoch.com

• Jessica Thornton
  Jessica Thornton Designs

This event was moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Co-Director, with an opening by Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Ohketeau Co-Director, and livestreamed by Howlround.

On August 1, Ohketeau Cultural Center and Double Edge Theatre co-produced the fourth panel of the Living Presence of Our History. Indigenous leaders and allies discussed the importance of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day over Columbus Day, the current movement in passing state legislation, and suggestions on making your IPD event appropriate.

The Living Presence forum continues conversations with Indigenous community members and allies regarding issues that we face today as Native peoples.

Panelists include: 

• Brittney Walley, Nipmuc, Special Commission to State Flag and Seal, Nipmuc Anti-Mascot Representative

• Melissa Ferretti, Chairperson for Herring Pond Wampanoag;

• Jorge Barakutei Estevez, Higuayagua:Taíno of the Caribbean 

• Darlene Flores, Higuayagua:Taíno of the Caribbean

• Claudia Fox Tree, Liaison of the United Confederation of the Taino People, Member of Massachusetts Native American Cultural Center

• Heather Leavell, Italian Americans for Indigenous Peoples Day

This event was moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Co-Director, with an opening by Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Ohketeau Co-Director and livestreamed by Howlround.

On March 21, Ohketeau presented the third part of the Living Presence of Our History series. The forum was a continuation of conversations with Indigenous community members and allies regarding issues that we face today as Native peoples. The panel delved into the importance of the Land Back Movement. Dispossession, colonization, and lack of access to traditional lands have caused generations of harm, and the recent awareness of rematriation through the Land Back movement gaining traction. View Resources here >>

Panelists include:

• Ramona Peters, Native Land Conservancy

• Kristen Wyman, Eastern Woodland Rematriation

• Fred Freeman, Nipmuc Cultural Preservation

• Stephanie Morningstar, Northeast Farmers of Color Landtrust

• Dr. Jessica Dolan, Ethnobotanist, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Environment Division; Adjunct Faculty, University of Guelph Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

• Peter Forbes, First Light Learning Journey

This event was moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Co-Director, with an opening by Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Ohketeau Co-Director, and livestreamed by Howlround.

In Part I of The Living Presence of Our History, we discussed the meaningful history of place. We need to understand this history, as well as the continued presence of Native people in Western Massachusetts. Throughout that discussion, we identified a need for further conversation and education on issues faced by Native communities today.

Right now there are several bills in the MA legislature concerning Native identity and cultural appropriation (click here for more information). In Part II you have the opportunity to listen to this incredible panel of 10, consisting of Indigenous community members, leaders, and scholars who will discuss issues associated with Native identity, health, and rights.

This event was curated and moderated by Rhonda Anderson, Ohketeau Founder and Co-Director, and was livestreamed via Howlround.

The Ohketeau Cultural Center in partnership with Double Edge Theatre presented a panel discussion on the history and presence of the Nipmuc and other Tribes in Ashfield and the surrounding areas. View Resources here >>

This event was moderated by Rhonda Anderson and featured Larry Spotted Crow Mann and Lisa Brooks.

Read The Greenfield Recorder’s review of the event here.