CONTACT: Jeff Theodore, 401-456-4679, jtheodore@ric.edu
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – New England Native American Culture Week celebrates its eighth year while the Living Culture Indigeneity Conference makes its inaugural debut during free and public events at RIC on Thursday, Sept. 21; Friday, Sept. 22; and Monday, Sept. 25.
The Living Culture Indigeneity Conference (LCIC), scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Sept. 21 and 22 in RIC’s Faculty Center, examines the complexity of pan-indigenous identities and explore ongoing efforts to promote pan-indigenous economic development. The conference is being held in honor of the United Nations’ Annual Day of Peace. Other highlights of LCIC will include a nonviolence workshop, panel discussions, cultural convening and a U.S. Census data workshop. Lunch is provided on Thursday and Friday for all registered attendees. Conference attendance is limited and registration may be completed by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1st-annual-living-culture-indigeneity-conference-tickets-37863004265.
On Monday, Sept. 25, New England Native American Culture Week hosts a panel discussion from 6 to 9 p.m. in Alger Room 110. The event focuses on contemporary American Indian musicians who utilize the Algonquin dialects in their art and music. The Algonquian people are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups. Historically, they were prominent along the Atlantic Coast and into the interior along the St. Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes.
Co-sponsors for the events include the Community, Equity and Diversity Division and the Professional Studies and Continuing Education office at RIC. The college is partnering with the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative, led by Raymond Two Hawks Watson, who is also a member of RIC President Frank D. Sánchez’s Inclusive Excellence Commission.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to be able to host these multicultural indigenous events on our campus particularly on the precipice of launching our annual celebration of humanity during the college’s Diversity Week,’’ said RIC Associate Vice President for Community, Equity and Diversity Anna Cano Morales.
For more information, visit www.livingcultureri.com
Established in 1854, Rhode Island College serves approximately 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students through its five schools: the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the School of Social Work, the School of Business and the School of Nursing. For more information, visit www.ric.edu.
