A Forum for Inclusion, Respect and Equity will feature two days of events on the topic “Changing the Way We See Native America” on April 11 and 12 at Fresno State, featuring special guest Matika Wilbur of Project 562.
Wilbur, from the Swinomish and Tulalip peoples of coastal Washington, has traveled to photograph and collect narratives on Native American culture from 400 tribal nations in 45 U.S. states over the past five years.
The forum’s opening ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Table Mountain Rancheria Reading Room on the third floor of the Henry Madden Library at Fresno State. At 6:15 p.m., there will be a brief lecture from Dr. Charles Ettner, a Fresno State sociocultural and linguistics instructor, focusing on local Native American communities. There will also be a traditional dance by 10-year-old “Hummingbird.”
On Thursday, a presentation from the “Courageous Voices” of students, faculty and staff who identify as Native American will be at 9:15 a.m. There will be roundtable conversations among attendees to continue to increase the campus’ cultural competency to best serve the community. Wilbur will lead reflections at 10:45 a.m., following the discussions. She will also host an open dialogue at 1 p.m. along with University President Joseph I. Castro.
Project 562 serves as Wilbur’s fourth major project featuring Native American identity and culture. She has taken thousands of portraits and collected hundreds of contemporary narratives from the breadth of Indian Country
The forum is open to the public and was organized by the President’s Commission on Human Relations and Equity at Fresno State. For a detailed schedule, visit the “Changing the Way We See Native America” Facebook page or www.fresnostate.edu/pchre.
For more information or special accommodations, contact Vicki Taylor at 559.278.0145.
