This fall, the High Desert Museum’s popular Indigenous Speakers Series returns with three vibrant and inspiring programs. Featuring an array of Indigenous voices, the series highlights artists, storytellers, scholars and more who share their unique perspectives with the community.
On Tuesday, September 16, Alyce Sadongei (Kiowa/Tohono O’odham), a scholar, author, Indigenous leader and advocate, will dig deep into the history and future of Tribal cultural institutions in a talk titled “Transformational Paths for Indigenous Libraries, Archives and Museums.” A leader in the museum field for years, Sadongei was the first Native American director of the Smithsonian Institution’s American Indian Museum Studies Program. She laid the foundation for the current training opportunities available at the National Museum of the American Indian.
Throughout her career, Sadongei championed Tribal libraries, archives and museums, advocating for the preservation of oral history and the growth of Indigenous cultural organizations. As an author, her works span from Native American repatriation to collections care and community collaboration. Based in Arizona, Sadongei leads Mission Garden, a living agricultural museum, as its executive director. Her presentation includes a discussion on how a predominantly Western concept of a museum is being defined by Indigenous museum professionals. Tickets are $5-$20 with a 20% discount for Museum members and free entry for Tribal members. For tickets, visit highdesertmuseum.org/transform-paths.
On Friday, October 24, the Museum welcomes Nez Perce language expert, storyteller and educator Harry Slickpoo Jr. As the Collections Specialist for the Nez Perce Tribe Hitéemenwees Research Library, Slickpoo uses cultural items to support the continuation of living cultures and Native languages.
An advocate for nimiipuutimpt, the Nez Perce language and culture, Slickpoo works to preserve, share and support Nez Perce ways of life, earning him recognition as an educator and cultural leader. Today, the Nez Perce language is classified as critically endangered, with only a handful of fluent speakers. Learn more about Slickpoo’s work and the resilience of Nez Perce cultural traditions. Tickets are $5-$20, with a 20% discount for Museum members and free entry for Tribal members. For tickets, visit highdesertmuseum.org/past-forward.
Then, on Sunday, November 2, Dr. Michelle Jacob (Yakama), professor of Indigenous Studies and director of the Sapsik’ʷałá (Teacher) Education Program in the Department of Education Studies at the University of Oregon, will discuss the resilience and brilliance of Indigenous communities while offering inspiration for how we all can reimagine a more connected and compassionate world. Jacob is passionate about imagining and working toward a future in which kindness, fierceness and creativity saturate our lives and institutions. She emphasizes that while understanding Indigenous history is important, there are reasons to celebrate the contributions Native Americans are making today. Her work is grounded in Yakama traditions, which call on each of us to foster personal strength to build a more powerful and unified community.
The November program is in partnership with Central Oregon Community College and the Nancy R. Chandler Lecture Series of the COCC Foundation. It will be hosted in Wille Hall at the Coats Campus Center of COCC in Bend, Oregon. Learn more about this special collaborative event at highdesertmuseum.org/indigenous-speakers-series.
The Indigenous Speakers Series is made possible by the Deschutes Cultural Coalition. For more information and to purchase tickets for Indigenous Speakers Series events, visit highdesertmuseum.org/indigenous-speakers-series.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM:
THE HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
