Join us as we explore topics from the book, There There by Tommy Orange. We will learn about different aspects of Indigenous culture and explore our own identities. For ages 12-18.
Tara Kenjockety is part Seneca Nation and an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology in 2002 and her Master of Science in Library and Information Science in 2008 from Indiana University. Tara has been working at the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame. Tara also works with the Native American Initiatives (NAI) at Notre Dame and the Native American Students and their allies group.
David Martin is an artist, a dancer, a singer, and a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. He used his upbringing in a traditional native family to influence his art. Proudly self-trained, his artistic mediums include oil painting, beadwork, and tattoo art. He is an independent local artist with current appointments serving as a member of the Indigenous Consultation Committee at Notre Dame’s Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and as the 2023-24 Artist-in-Residence at Notre Dame’s Initiative on Race and Resilience.
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This event is presented in partnership with the South Bend Museum of Art as part of the 2023-2024 NEA Big Read.
There, There follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize. Among them is Jacquie Red Feather, newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind. Dene Oxendene, pulling his life together after his uncle's death and working at the powwow to honor his memory. Fourteen-year-old Orvil, coming to perform traditional dance for the very first time. Together, this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American--grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism.
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read—a partnership with Arts Midwest—broadens our understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience. Showcasing a diverse range of themes, voices, and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in each community. Learn more at www.arts.gov/initiatives/nea-big-read
Features: numerous public meeting rooms, public computers, wireless laptops and iPads for in-house use and vending area.
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