Following the 2023 Summer Research Institute, the IndigenoUs Northern Virginia project hit the ground running. Students involved with the Summer Research Institute submitted a series of written recommendations and feedback at the end of June. The IndigenoUs Northern Virginia team developed a list of goals for the 2023-2024 academic year that drew directly from this student feedback provided at the Institute. As such, the Fall 2023 semester has focused on hosting campus events in partnership with student organizations and discussions of identity and the nature of indigeneity in Northern Virginia.
IndigenoUs Northern Virginia has planned multiple events for the fall semester revolving around these questions of identity and indigeneity. IndigenoUs Northern Virginia, in partnership with the Center for Humanities Research, has planned two roundtable events. Tribal Identities: Past and Present will be held on October 26th, 5pm to 6:30pm, in Merten Hall 1202. The panelists for this roundtable include Schirra Gray (Piscataway), Dorothy Gray (Rappahannock), Joe Gaines (Choctaw), and Janine Hubai. Dr. Gabrielle Tayac (Piscataway) will be moderating. We will also host another roundtable focused on indigenous Latin America on November 8th, with details to be finalized in the coming weeks. These roundtables aim not only to educate audience members about the strong, continual presence of indigenous people in Northern Virginia and the D.C. area, but also to invite meaningful reflection on what it means to be indigenous, non-indigenous, and to live and work on indigenous lands.
IndigenoUs Northern Virginia is also deep into planning for the upcoming spring semester. The project has received even more feedback as we have worked with student organizations and individual students to plan the roundtables. For the spring, IndigenoUs Northern Virginia plans to shift away from formal roundtables and panels, and instead focus even more on the students. We plan to instead host Talking Circles with indigenous community members and the student body. This will enable us to foster a more relaxed and student-centric environment, and promote more organic conversation between community members and students. IndigenoUs Northern Virginia plans to work with student organizations such as the Native American and Indigenous Alliance and the Latin American Political Society to determine topics for these Talking Circles that serve student interests.
IndigenoUs Northern Virginia will keep moving forward and build on the foundations of indigeneity at Mason. We plan to continue to partner with student organizations and get students involved across all aspects of the project so that we can help build a better space for indigeneity both on campus and in the community.
October 25, 2023