UT Arlington will host the First Annual Indigenous People’s Day on Monday, October 10th, from 3pm to 7pm. The day will start at 3pm with a student and alumni forum entitled Being Indigenous at UTA. This will be immediately followed by the ribbon cutting to the newly renovated Land Acknowledgement Courtyard and the unveiling of the Land Acknowledgement bronze plaque and monument. Invited speakers include UTA President Dr. Jennifer Cowley, Provost Dr. Tamara Brown, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, and members of the DFW Native American Community. Both events will be outside directly north of the Central Library.
The primary reason for the dedication location is the presence of the round building known as the Roundhouse Planetarium. Its shape reminds us of the importance of the circle in many Native cultures. Its use as a planetarium evokes imaginings of the first people who looked up at the stars at this site.
At 5pm, the event moves to the Library Atrium, located on the 6th Floor of the Central Library for a Native Food Tasting featuring selections from traditional Native American dishes. At 6pm, Dr. Farina King (Diné) will present Native Circles: Sustaining Ties to HomeLand. Dr. King is the Horizon Chair of Native American Ecology and Culture at the University of Oklahoma. Accompanying her presentation is Native Now, a curated exhibit featuring selections from UTA Libraries Special Collections, artifacts, and contemporary artistic works. Some of the featured artists include UTA alumnus Jason Lujan (Chiricahua Apache), whose work has been exhibited in NYC and other countries, and Brian Larney (Choctaw/Seminole) who produced the event imagery.
Click on the poster twice below to see it in a larger format.
GRAND OPENING OF THE UTA LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT COURTYARD (NORTH OF CENTRAL LIBRARY)
3 pm–Being Indigenous at UTA: Student and Alumni Forum
4 pm–Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Monument Unveiling
JOIN US AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY 6th FLOOR ATRIUM
5 pm-Indigenous Food Tasting and Native Now Art Exhibit
6 pm–Native Circles: Sustaining Ties to HomeLand-Dr. Farina King (Diné), Horizon Chair of Native American Ecology and Culture, University of Oklahoma
All events are free and open to the public. ASL interpreters will attend.
Please contact RidingIn@uta.edu for additional accommodation inquiries and needs.
Many people have this Indigenous Peoples’ Day off; so, we are hoping you will attend. If they wish, people are welcome to wear their regalia.
Sponsored by Native American Student Association, Office of Diversity Equity, and Inclusion, College of Liberal Arts, Art & Art History Department, Honors College, UTA Libraries, Landscape Architecture Program, Office of Cultural Engagement and Social Change, and Office of Administration and Economic Development.
Please share about this event on social media!
#indigenouspeoplesday
#IndigenousPeoplesDayCelebration
#UTALandAcknowldgment
#UTArlingtonLandAcknowldgment
#UTAIPD
#IPD2022
#WeAreStillHere
#InvisibleNoMore
