Ohio University to celebrate Native American Heritage Month with events, programming

All members of the Ohio University community are invited to join the Division of Diversity and Inclusion in commemorating the history and heritage of indigenous peoples throughout Native American Heritage Month.

Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to take part in events and programming throughout the month to celebrate and learn more about the history of indigenous and Native Americans, and those with American Indian and Alaska Native backgrounds.

Indigenous Game Day and Book Share
Enjoy presentations from the Federal Creek Indian Organization of Ohio (FCIOO), book share, and a game day on the Walter Lawn and Walter Rotunda on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, from 2 to 6 p.m.

Nature Walk at Woodcock Nature Preserve
Enjoy a hike at Woodcock Nature Preserve in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. The 3.1-mile hike will meet at the Preserve’s parking lot at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 10. Transportation will be available from the Peden Stadium parking lot at 9:40 a.m. if needed.
Individuals interested in joining the hike are asked to register at this link.

Native American Heritage Month Artist Showcase
Explore themes of Native American heritage with two paintings that will be on display at the Tower Lounge Gallery in the Kennedy Museum of Art at the Ridges. The gallery will host the paintings throughout the month of November. The exhibit will feature artist John Feodorov and two works from his 2022 "Yellow Dirt" series, a personal response to the ongoing health and environmental crisis on and near the Navajo (Diné) reservation; and "Trade Canoe: A Western Fantasy," an iconic work by artist Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith that interweaves scenes of Native American legends, Old West mythology, modern capitalism, and social activism.
More details about visiting the Kennedy Museum can be found here.

A Humanities in the Park Exhibit from The Charles J. Ping Institute for Teaching of the Humanities 
Ohio University Libraries is hosting an exhibit prepared by the Charles J. Ping Institute for the Teaching of the Humanities tracing Indigenous Americans’ material and cultural contributions to Ohio from their early creation of large earthworks to modern representations and reflections on the past. This exhibit will be available on Nov. 1 throughout the remainder of the semester on the second floor of Alden Library.   

Common Read 3-Part Series: "This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto" by Suketu Mehta 
In a common book project organized in conjunction with International Education Week focusing on "This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto" by Suketu Mehta. This impassioned and thought-provoking publication tells stories that reflect immigration experience, settler colonial legacies, and global inequalities. The project is coordinated by the Ohio University Office of Global Affairs, Center for International Studies, Division of Diversity and Inclusion, Multicultural Center, and Center for Law, Justice, and Culture, among other units, with the hopes of encouraging broad, diverse, and inclusive participation of students, faculty, and staff from across the University.
Three discussion sessions will be available for participants to meet in a hybrid setting after reading the book. Sessions will take place on Nov. 16, Nov. 27, and Dec. 5.
Copies of the book will be available on a first-come basis through the Office of Global Affairs at Yamada International House.

NAICCO Indigenous Food Demonstration
Through this event, light will be shed on the nonprofit, the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO), and its crucial role in Ohio as the only viable urban Indian center in the state. Discussion areas will include: NAICCO Cuisine, Land Back NAICCO, those who personify NAICCO’s mission and vision work, a general overview of what it means to be Native American in today’s day and age, and how it is all interlaced.
The event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, in the Patton Culinary Studio. Participants will have the chance to taste Native American cuisine and traditional dishes as they were meant to be prepared. Please register for the event at: NAICCO Indigenous Cuisine Tasting - Ohio University

To learn more about Ohio University’s Native American Heritage Month celebration, visit ohio.edu/diversity/history-and-heritage-programming/native-american-heritage-month.