Multicultural Affairs
Vine Deloria Jr. was one of the preeminent intellectuals of the 20th century, whose work brought attention to the importance of place and traditions within Native American communities. He was the author of more than 20 works, and was an active leader for numerous Native American institutions. After Deloria died in 2005, Reed students and staff created the Vine Deloria Jr. lecture series to honor his memory. The series recognizes the work of Native American scholars whose intellectual pursuits reflect the spirit and commitment exhibited by Deloria. This series is a collaborative effort between the multicultural resource center and the office for institutional diversity. The inauguration of this series occurred in fall 2007.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Making the Invisible Visible: The Native American Community in Multnomah County
4:30 p.m., Eliot Chapel, traditional dancing with drum performance and a panel discussion. Reception to follow.
The Reed College campus, the city of Portland, and the surrounding metro area rest on the traditional lands of many Native American tribes. The urban Native American population in Portland is often overlooked, even as this multitribal community experiences rapid growth. The 2012 Vine Deloria Jr. panel discussion offers a dynamic exploration of the experiences of Native Americans in greater Portland. This event is open to the public and all are welcome to join us.
Performance: Traditional Native American dancing and drumming, performed by members of the Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA), located in North Portland.
Panel: A discussion among four Native American leaders of the recent Coalition of Communities of Color and Portland State University 2011 report, "The Native American Community in Multnomah County: An Unsettling Profile."
Executive Director, Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA)
Tlingit Tribe
Nichole Maher has served as the Executive Director of NAYA for over 10 years and under her leadership the organization has grown tremendously to provide wrap-around, culturally specific community services for the Native community in Multnomah County. Maher currently serves on the boards of: Portland Schools Foundation, Northwest Health Foundation, Planned Parenthood, Portland Parks & Recreation, National Urban Indian Family Coalition, the National Comcast/NBC Joint Council Board and the Oregon Education Investment Board.
Executive Director and CEO, Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO)
Comanche
Laura Harris has worked for Americans for Indian Opportunity for the past 20 years. Prior to joining AIO, Harris worked at the Smithsonian's Office for Institutional Initiatives and was one of the original staff of the National Museum of the American Indian Campaign Office. President Clinton appointed Harris to serve as a senior consultant to the President's Initiative on Race. Harris is the founding Chair of the New Mexico Native American Democratic Caucus and elected secretary of the Toyah Band of Comanche.
Portland Area Office Supervisor, Confederated Tribes of Siletz
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Sherry Addis has worked for her tribe since 2008 as the Portland Area Office Supervisor. Addis oversees a wide range of social service programs for Siletz tribal members as well as enrolled members of other federally recognized tribes, Alaskan Natives, and Hawaiian Natives. Previously Addis worked for the City of Portland, Transportation Bureau for 18 years and for the Port of Portland for five years.
Deputy Executive Director, Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA)
Squaxin Island Tribe
Matt Morton is the Deputy Executive Director of the Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA). Previously, he served as the Deputy Director for the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA). Morton has been actively involved in the Portland community and he was elected to the Portland Public Schools Board in 2011.
Previous Lectures
2011
Terry Cross: Educator, leader, and activist Terry Cross will present the 2011 Vine Deloria Jr. Lecture. Terry Cross is an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians and is the developer, founder, and executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. He is the author of Heritage and Helping, an 11-manual curriculum for tribal child welfare staff. He is also author of the Positive Indian Parenting curriculum, as well as Cross-Cultural Skills in Indian Child Welfare. He co-authored Toward a Culturally Competent System of Care and Reclaiming Customary Adoption. In 2008, Terry became a member of the SAMHSA National Advisory Council.
In 2009, Terry received the Civic Engagement Award for Excellence in Community-Based Research from Portland State University. In 2010, he was a finalist for the EcoTrust Indigenous Leadership Award. This summer, Terry will receive the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps' Embracing the Legacy Award at the Kennedy Library in Boston. Terry has 38 years of experience in child welfare, including 10 years working directly with children and families. He served on the faculty of Portland State University School of Social Work as adjunct professor for 15 years.
2010
Cindy Cumfer: Cynthia, J.D., PhD has specialized in representing nonprofit groups since 1978. Her clients have included charities, educational organizations, social service organizations, immigrant and ethnic groups, quasi-governmental nonprofits, and advocacy groups. Cindy was an Adjunct Professor of Nonprofit Law at Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law, co-author of The Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook, and taught the history of nonprofit organizations at Reed College in the fall of 2003. Her book on Tennessee history, Separate Peoples, One Land, was awarded the 2007 Tennessee History Book Award.
Suzan Harjo: Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne & Hodulgee Muscogee) is a writer, lecturer, curator, and policy advocate who has helped Native Peoples protect sacred places and recover more than one million acres of land. She has developed key laws to promote and protect Native sovereignty, children, arts, cultures, and languages. Ms. Harjo is Guest Curator and General Editor for the National Museum of the American Indian's upcoming exhibit and publication on Treaties. She also curated the first Native art exhibit ever shown in the U.S. Senate and House Rotundas. She is currently President of The Morning Star Institute, a Native rights organization founded in 1984 for Native People's traditional and cultural advocacy, arts promotion, and research.
Philip J. Deloria
"Vine Deloria Jr.: Histories, Memories, and Legacies"
The distinguished historian Philip J. Deloria, son of scholar and activist Vine Deloria Jr. (1933–2005), delivers the inaugural lecture. Philip Deloria (Ph.D., American Studies, Yale University), has chaired the program in American Culture at the University of Michigan, and is president-elect of the American Studies Association. He is author of Indians in Unexpected Places (University Press of Kansas, 2004) and Playing Indian (Yale University Press, 1998).
Philip J. Deloria
"Back Down to the Crossroads: Integrative American Studies in Theory and Practice"
“Back Down to the Crossroads: Integrative American Studies in Theory and Practice” commemorates the 40th anniversary of the American Studies program at Reed College.