MARQUETTE, Mich.— The fourth annual Indigenous Earth Issues Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, March 25, at Northern Michigan University’s Whitman Hall commons. The family-friendly event is open to the public and free of charge. Advance registration is required for meals and children’s activities and requested by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 22.

Award-winning Chickasaw author and international speaker Linda Hogan will deliver the keynote at 1 p.m. Her talk is titled “Animals, Human Beings and the Earth.”  Hogan is a novelist, poet and essayist who has addressed indigenous environmental philosophies and various threats posed by industrialism. Her books include Solar Storms, Dwellings: A Spiritual History of the Living World and Mean Spirit, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

The following presenters will facilitate workshops throughout the day:

▪Bobby Bullet, an Anishinaabe musician and 2010 NAMMY Award winner who has played guitar with Loretta Lynn, will present a “music in activism” workshop.

▪Nick Hockings of Lac du Flambeau, a teacher of traditional Anishinaabe ecological knowledge, will facilitate workshops on traditional firemaking skills.

▪Martin Reinhardt, a citizen of the Sault Sainte Marie Tribe and NMU professor, will present on ways to de-colonize our diets.

▪Noted Ojibwe/Lacandon author and birchbark-biting artist Lois Beardslee will discuss her art and the issues surrounding the birch tree in Michigan.

▪Red Cliff elder Tony DePerry will offer his view of Anishinaabe environmental philosophy as part of a presentation on the mining threats facing the tribes in the U.P. and northern Wisconsin.

▪Frank Koehn, long-time environmental and social justice advocate, will conduct a workshop on environmental activism strategies and skills learned from Anishinaabe activist Walter Bresette.

 

Native American cultural activities geared toward children 6 years of age or younger will be offered, but parents are welcome to bring children of any age. The day will end with a 7 p.m. open mic music and poetry jam. To register or for more information, call 906-227-1397 or visit www.nmu.edu/nativeamericans . The summit is sponsored by the NMU Center for Native American Studies with support from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the NMU Multicultural Education and Resource Center, College of Arts and Sciences and the geography and English departments.