Two free, public events will highlight Fresno State’s observance of Native American Heritage Month beginning with a talk by internationally renowned speaker Dr. Michael Yellow Bird, director of indigenous tribal studies at North Dakota State University, from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7.
On Nov. 17, Dr. Cornel Pewewardy, director and associate professor of Native American studies at Portland State University, will speak on campus.
The events are presented by First Nations Indigenous Student Organization of Fresno State, University President Joseph I. Castro’s Commission on Human Relations and Equity and the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs. It is supported by the Americana Indian Recruitment and Resource Initiative at Fresno State.
Yellow Bird’s talk Friday, “The Decolonization of Native American Heritage Month,” will be in the Alice Peters Auditorium (Peters Business Building).
A citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara), Yellow Bird joined the NDSU faculty in fall 2014. He has held faculty and administrative appointments at the University of British Columbia, University of Kansas, Arizona State University and Humboldt State University.
His teaching, writing, research and community work focuses on indigenous peoples’ health, leadership and cultural rights; the effects of colonization and methods of decolonization; decolonizing social work approaches; decolonizing war and military service; neurodecolonization and mind-body approaches; neuroscience and indigenous peoples; traditional mindfulness and contemplative practices; ancestral and paleo eating and lifestyle; and the Rights of Mother Earth.
“Colonialism refers to when an alien people invade the territory inhabited by people of a different race and culture and establish political, social, spiritual, intellectual and economic domination over that territory,” Yellow Bird explains in his essay, “Indian, American Indian and Native Americans: Counterfeit Identities.”
Yellow Bird participated in a seminar at Fresno State in May on social justice and self-care.
“Dr. Yellow Bird is one of the most renowned indigenous social work researchers in the world,” said Dr. Kris Clarke, associate professor of social work at Fresno State. “His work challenges dominant ways of narrating social care, bringing a more holistic, indigenous perspective to understanding the links between decolonization and social wellbeing.”
For more information contact Dr. Charles Ettner, American Indian Studies Program coordinator, at 559.278.8831 or University Outreach Services at 559.278.2048.
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