Free virtual event sponsored by Ohio University.

Register here.

The Ohio University Division of Diversity and Inclusion will host a special virtual event with Native American scholar Dr. Anton Treuer on Nov. 2, in celebration of American Indian Heritage Month.

Treuer is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of 19 books. He has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is editor of the Oshkaabewis Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language. He has received more than 40 prestigious awards, including ones from the American Philosophical Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Bush Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. 

“He is perfect for the university setting because as a college professor himself he brings the kind of background that I believe is crucial for our audience,” said Dr. Winsome Chunnu, director of the Multicultural Center.  

Treuer’s talk is titled, “Sovereignty is Sacred: Sharing our Rights and Cultures.” Topics discussed will include cultural appropriation, land acknowledgement, and changing sports mascots.

Chunnu said these are very timely topics to discuss.

“Cultural appropriation is often cited particularly around Halloween time, but generally why we shouldn’t mock and dress as Mexican or Indians,” Chunnu said. “Changing the mascots is something a lot of sports teams are grappling with. Should they or should they not change their mascot and what does that mean for their players, their owners and the fans?” 

Ohio University’s Multicultural Center has been celebrating Native American History month for over a decade.

“The United States is uniquely one of the most diverse countries in the world,” Chunnu said. “It’s important that we recognize the history of Native Americans in our country and that we are still grappling with inherent inequalities. This celebration allows just another opportunity for the University to highlight the history, work, culture, and contributions of Americans that are often not a part of the regular narrative.” 

The online event begins at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2 via Microsoft Teams, and participants are asked to register before the meeting.

More about the book Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask:

“I had a profoundly well-educated Princetonian ask me, ‘Where is your tomahawk?’ I had a beautiful woman approach me in the college gymnasium and exclaim, ‘You have the most beautiful red skin.’ I took a friend to see Dances with Wolves and was told, ‘Your people have a beautiful culture.’ . . . I made many lifelong friends at college, and they supported but also challenged me with questions like, ‘Why should Indians have reservations?’”

What have you always wanted to know about Indians? Do you think you should already know the answers—or suspect that your questions may be offensive? In matterof-fact responses to over 120 questions, both thoughtful and outrageous, modern and historical, Ojibwe scholar and cultural preservationist Anton Treuer gives a frank, funny, and sometimes personal tour of what’s up with Indians, anyway.

• What is the real story of Thanksgiving?

• Why are tribal languages important?

• What do you think of that incident where people died in a sweat lodge?

White/Indian relations are often characterized by guilt and anger. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask cuts through the emotion and builds a foundation for true understanding and positive action.

Praise:

“Nothing  quite like this book has been available previously. Summing up: Essential.” CHOICE

“Straightforward, fascinating, funny, and often wise, Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask is a wonderful resource for non-Indians and Indians too. (There are plenty of things we want to know about each other.)  It is that rare thing—an informational and entertaining read.”

Louise Erdrich

“This book marks Anton Treuer’s shift from an expert on Ojibwe history and language to one of the most powerful tribal voices on most things Indian. Informed, compassionate, funny, and provocative, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask is a truly needed and compelling read.”

Rex Lee Jim, Vice President of Navajo Nation

“Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians does more than answer the questions. It raises other questions about civilization and religion. It does what a book should do.”

Basil Johnston, award winning author of The Manitous and many other books on Ojibwe history and culture

“Anton Treuer is a consummate bridge-builder. Patient and pointed in equal measure, Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians inspires readers to embrace human commonality—and when confronted with issues of social and cultural difference, to engage our better natures.”

Philip J. Deloria, Carroll Smith-Rosenberg Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan, and author of Indians in Unexpected Places

“President John F. Kennedy said it best in 1960: ‘American Indians remain probably the least understood and most misunderstood Americans of us all.’ I highly recommend this extraordinary book that makes every effort to set the record straight.”

Tim Giago (Oglala Lakota), President, Unity South Dakota Foundation