NSU accepting proposals for 45th Annual Symposium

The Northeastern State University American Indian Heritage Committee is accepting proposals for individuals who are interested in presenting at the 45th Annual Symposium on the American Indian. Priority consideration will be given to proposals received by Jan. 2, 2017.

The 45th Annual Symposium on the American Indian will be held April 17-22, 2017, on the NSU campus in Tahlequah, centered on the theme Indian Givers: Indigenous Inspirations. The term Indian Giver, coined by Lewis and Clark, represents one of the greatest cultural misunderstandings in American Indian history. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, presentations will provide a new, positive perspective on the term by highlighting the influence and contributions of our indigenous people to mainstream, western culture through art, literature, government and other areas of the humanities. Presentations will explore these contributions in both a historical and contemporary context.

Proposals should focus on indigenous contributions to: arts, literature, science, music, government and/or education; history of indigenous people; tribal sovereignty; and/or language revitalization. The committee will conduct a blind review of each proposal. The best proposals will articulate a clear objective and purpose as well as importance of the point of view to be expressed. Proposals need to show evidence of scholarly care, clear and effective argument, and/or a basis in research.

The Symposium on the American Indian is a community event, there is no registration fee and events are open to the public. Funding has been provided by the Oklahoma Arts Council and Oklahoma Humanities Council. For more information, visit Center for Tribal Studies Events and follow the link to the NSU Symposium. Individuals may also contact the Center for Tribal Studies for more information at tribalstudies@nsuok.edu or 918-444-4350.