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Upcoming Events

Re-imagining America: Dialogues on Change

The Greenfield Intercultural Center 25th Anniversary Symposium

When: Thursday, November 5, 2009: 5-8pm — Free to Penn Students, Staff, Faculty; $15 to Alumni and Public

AND Friday, November 6, 2009: 9am-6pm — Free of Charge

Where: Claudia Cohen Hall (formerly Logan Hall) (249 South 36th Street)

"Re-imagining America: Dialogues on Change" is a two-day symposium that commemorates 25 years of building diverse communities at Penn's Albert M. Greenfield Intercultural Center. The symposium, which explores our emerging reality as a multicultural nation, kicks off on Thursday with a keynote lecture by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill GR’05 and Stephen Black C’93 followed by a wine and hors d'oeuvre reception and Student Intercultural Innovations Fair.

Learn more and register at The Homepage of the Greenfield Center

Association of Native Alumni: Art and Story - All Our Relations

When: Saturday, November 7th, 2009

Time: 4:00PM - 6:00PM

Where: Houston Hall, Golkin Room (3417 Spruce St)

More information and registration at www.alumni.upenn.edu/homecoming2009

Art and story are central to native life. Whether through painting, sculpture, pottery, or jewelry, art and artists are central to the daily lives of American Indians. Every Native event, whether powwow or academic conference, is encircled by these representations of our culture. The Association of Native Alumni invites you to enjoy a variety of examples of Indian art and the stories surrounding the art, which will be presented by our native alumni in person and in audio-video format. The presentation will include art from nationally and internationally recognized Indian artists.

Indigenous Scholars Poster Session (organized by Bryan Brayboy)

When: Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Time: 5:00PM

Where: University of Pennsylvania Museum

Indigenous Knowledge and Archaeology Session

When: Saturday, December 5th, 2009

Time: 8:00-11:45AM and 1:45-5:45PM

Where: Philadelphia Mariott Hotel

Past Events

Six Directions, with the generous support of Greenfield Intercultural Center, invite you to a featured lecture by Dr. Jeff Corntassel:

Rich Indian Racism: Indigenous Peoples Confront New Stereotypes in the Forced Federalism Era

When: Thursday, October 8, 2009

Time: 5:00 to 7:00 PM

Where: Fireside Room - 2nd Fl. of The ARCH building (36th & Locust).
Find it on the Penn Campus as "ARCH, The"

Jeff Corntassel (Cherokee Nation), received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Arizona in 1998, and is currently Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor in the School of Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria. Professor Corntassel's research and teaching interests include global Indigenous rights and Indigenous political mobilization/ self-determination movements

From the Review of Jeff Corntassel's book, Forced Federalism, by the journal American Indian Policy:
Over the past twenty years, American Indian policy has shifted from self-determination to "forced federalism," as indigenous nations in the United States have encountered new threats from state and local governments over such issues as taxation, gaming, and homeland security. During the forced federalism era (1988 to the present), public perceptions of indigenous peoples as "rich Indians" have been just as damaging to Native nations as anti-sovereignty legislation. Jeff Corntassel's latest book examines how state governments have manipulated "rich Indian" images when setting policies targeting indigenous peoples and discusses how indigenous nations have responded politically to these contemporary threats to their nationhood.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Corntassel's recent book.

Oke owinge Dancers (San Juan Pueblo)

When: Saturday, November 14th, 2009

Time: 2:00PM

Where: University of Pennsylvania Museum

Lenape Nation 12th Annual Pow Wow

When: Saturday, September 19th, 2009 (Rain or Shine!)

Time: 10AM to 6PM on Saturday and Sunday

Where: Mountain View Park, Wind Gap, PA

A fun-filled day of Native American food, crafter and artisan demonstrations, specialty Dancers, educational sessions and more! For more information and directions, visit www.lenapenation.org

Advocacy Work with Canadian First Nations

When: Monday, April 20, Noon to 2 p.m.

Where: Greenfield Intercultural Center

3708 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

Alice Johnston is a member of the Mi'kmaw First Nation, Metepenagiag, located in New Brunswick, Canada. She is employed as a First Nations Liaison with the Miramichi Regional Hospital which serves three local Migmaw First Nations. Her focus is on patient advocacy and she works toward creating a greater understanding between First Nations people and the non-Native hospital staff. A fluent speaker of her first language, Mi'kmaq, she provides translation services to the Elders and hospital staff. She has done some translation work of hospital documents into Mi'kmaq.

Lunch will be served. Please rsvp to gic@dolphin.upenn.edu

All-Ivy Native Council Spring Conference

hosted by Association of Native Americans at Yale

April 2 - 5, 2009

For more information contact Megan Shaw at mhshaw@sas.upenn.edu

All-Ivy Native Summit

Cornell University, Nov. 14-16, 2008

Mark your calendars. Native American Students At Cornell (NASAC) will host the 2008 AINC Summit this November 14-16 in Ithaca NY. The Summit is one of two annual gatherings of the All-Ivy Native Council, a consortium of Native student groups from Ivy league and other colleges throughout the Northeast. It is a great opportunity to learn, network, and hang out with other Native undergraduates! For more information about AINC or the summit, email Mia ( noemia@sas.upenn.edu) or Rico rr@sas.upenn.edu).  Registration information will follow.

Tuesday, November 18

Six Directions Contemporary Native Film Night: Four Sheets to the Wind (2007)
*6PM*
@ Greenfield Intercultural Center (3708 Chestnut St.)
Dinner and discussion provided!

All are invited and most welcome to join members of 6D as we screen this 2007 Sundance award winner! 

Four Sheets to the Wind had its World Premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where Tamara Podemski (Saulteaux) won the Special Jury Award for Acting. Director Sterlin Harjo is a Sundance Institute Annenberg Fellow and a 2006 Renew Media Fellow. Producer Chad Burris has been a selected to participate in Sundance Institute's Producers Lab.

Synopsis: A death in Oklahoma sets in motion events leading to something great: so says a Muscogee-speaking narrator when Cufe Smallhill, a registered Seminole who's part Creek, discovers his father's body one morning. Per dad's wishes, Cufe sinks the body in a pond. After a closed-casket funeral - Cufe's cousin loads a donated coffin with weights and a watermelon - Cufe goes to Tulsa to spend time with his sister, Miri. He meets Miri's neighbor, Francie. They talk and listen, and things seem to open up for Cufe. Miri has her problems, though, including an estrangement from her mother, Cora. Miri drinks too much, sleeps around, and steals from her boss. How can anything great come of this?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0893331/

Tuesday November 25

Philadelphia Orchestra Access Concert
featuring Intercultural Journeys Ensemble

Meet @ GIC at 6:15PM - concert starts at 7PM
10 free tickets available; email Mia (noemia@sas.upenn.edu) to reserve a spot!*

The Intercultural Journeys ensemble joins The Philadelphia Orchestra for a look at Native-American music and its influences on Western Classical music. Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Udi Bar-David, renowned flutist R. Carlos Nakai, and guests discuss Antonín Dvorák's journey from Bohemia to the United States, and the impact of American traditions on his "New World" Symphony. In addition to a complete performance of two movements from Dvorák's Symphony No. 9, this special concert will feature improvisation and the symphonic music of James DeMars, inspired by Native-American musicians.

featuring:
Ohad Bar-David - Artistic Director and Cello
R. Carlos Naka