Native American Heritage Month Speaker Nov. 5

Devon Mihesuah is a Northern Arizona University history professor who won a cookbook award for her “Recovering Our Ancestors’ Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness.”  The book, however is not far a field from her specialty: American Indian studies.

Mihesuah (MY-hee-sue-ah), a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, will be the guest speaker at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at Illinois State University’s Native American History Month kickoff.  Her lecture on “Indigenous Food as Empowerment” will be in the Old Main Room of Bone Student Center.  Admission is free.

Currently teaching at the University of Kansas Indigenous Nations Studies program as the Cora Lee Beers Price Teaching Professor in International Cultural Understanding, Mihesuah was presented the Crystal Eagle American Indian Leadership Award by students in that program.  She was an award-winning editor of the American Indian Quarterly for nearly 10 years and also edits University of Nebraska Press's book series, "Contemporary Indigenous Issues."

Mihesuah's research, writing and speaking focuses on the necessary themes of decolonization and empowerment strategies.

Other Native American History Month events include the GLBT Cultural Dinner at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, with keynote speaker Vernon Wall, a nationally known author, consultant and speaker in the areas of social justice and leadership styles.  He will speak on “Sexual Orientation and Pop Culture.”  Ticket information is available by calling 438-3335.

“Cowboys in Latin America” is the title of the Thursday, Nov. 15, program gtom 6 to 9 p.m. in the Brown Ballroom of Bone Student Center.  Admission is free and Western attire is optional for riding a mechanical bull.  The Association of Latin American Students will present the program on Western influence in Latin America. 

The World AIDS Day speaker at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26, will be Gail Wyatt, associate director of the UCLA AIDS Institute and professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science at UCLA.  She was the first African-American licensed psychologist in California and is the author of over 100 professional publications and books. 

Wyatt’s lecture, which will be in the Old Main Room, is “Why is Sex So Dangerous for Women: Implications for HIV/AIDS and STDs.”  At noon the following day, Nov. 27, in the Old Main Room, Wyatt and several faculty members will present a symposium titled “Controversies in Mental Health Interventions for People Living with HIV."                   

Native American History Month will conclude with the School of Theatre Crossroads Theatre production, “The Unnatural and Accidental Women,” written by Canadian playwright Marie Clements.  Directed by ISU’s Debbie Alley, the unconventional Native-authored play will be in Westhoff Theatre Dec. 5 to 9.  Tickets are available at 438-2535.

The play is inspired by a series of murders over a 22-year period in Vancouver committed against poor, middle-aged, Native women without ties to the city.  Despite evidence suggesting foul play, the coroner listed their deaths as “unnatural and accidental.”

Clements is also a performer, screenwriter and director as well as founder of urban ink productions in Vancouver.  Having recently passed the torch as artistic director of urban ink productions after six years, Clements currently is playwright in residence of the Canadian National Arts Centre.