(Image courtesy of COCC)
Central Oregon Community College is celebrating Native American Heritage Month with a program of community events in November, including a scholar’s talk on Indigenous resiliency (November 2), an online Native American history game (November 3-14), Native beading classes (November 5 and November 19), and discussions of the novel A Grandmother Begins the Story (November 11 and November 20). Visit cocc.edu/multicultural for details and registration.
Throughout the month, COCC’s campuses will have displays about the importance of Native American Heritage Month and brief histories of Oregon’s tribes. Displays will be Located at the Coats Campus Center in Bend, Technology Education Center in Redmond, and the front lobby of the Prineville and Madras campuses.
The COCC Foundation’s Nancy R. Chandler Lecture Series, in cooperation with the High Desert Museum, is presenting “Beautiful Strengths of Indigenous Communities” on Sunday, November 2, at 1pm in Wille Hall on the Bend campus. The University of Oregon’s Michelle Jacob, Ph.D., professor of Indigenous studies and co-director of the Sapsik’wałá Program, will speak about how Indigenous history must go hand in hand with celebrating contemporary contributions of Native peoples. Tickets are on a self-determining sliding scale, $0-$15. Visit cocc.edu/foundation/cls.
From November 3-14, an informative game about Native American history will post to the events section of cocc.edu/multicultural. Participants will be notified through email when answers are posted.
Free beading workshops with Amy Cullen, whose heritage is Métis (Ojibwe, Cree and western European), will include a talk on the history of Native beading and her own history with the art form. Participants will take home their own beaded piece. Space is limited. Beginner class: Wednesday, November 5, 3-4pm. Intermediate class: Wednesday, November 19, 3-4pm. Both on the Bend campus, in Mazama 207.
A Grandmother Begins the Story, a novel by award-winning author Michelle Porter, which follows five generations of women and bison as they reach for the stories that could remake their worlds and rebuild their futures, is the focus of two free book chats. Part one on Zoom (link sent to registrants): Tuesday, November 11, 12-1pm. Part two on COCC’s Redmond campus, RTEC, Room 124: Thursday, November 20, 2-3pm. Copies are available to check out on each COCC campus, with digital copies obtainable through COCC’s Barber Library.
For more information on these events, contact Jeremiah Rector, Native American Program coordinator, at 541-318-3782 or jrector@cocc.edu.
In advance of college events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because of a physical or mobility disability should contact campus services at 541-383-7775. For accommodation because of other disability such as hearing impairment, contact student accessibility services at sas@cocc.edu or 541-383-7583.