Celebrating Native America Heritage Month:
Aurora University To Offer Music, Dance, Films, Artworks, Lectures

AURORA, Ill, October 25, 2007—Aurora University will celebrate Native American Heritage Month during November with dance, films, lectures, and an art exhibits.

The eight-event series is free to the public. The sponsor is the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures at Dunham Hall, 1400 Marseillaise Place in Aurora.

The schedule for the second annual observance is:

Nov. 1: “The Native American Church: History and Traditions,” a presentation by Ben Bearskin, Jr. of Milwaukee, a Ho-Chunk tribe member, is at 1:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the Schingoethe Center. During his lecture, Bearskin will tie on a skin drumhead aand explain the drum’s symbolism. He will donate the drum to the Schingoethe Center collection.

Nov. 5: “Spirit of the People,” a dance performance by the Waswagoning Dance Theatre of the Ojibwe village at Lac du Flambeau, Wis., is at 6:30 p.m. in Crimi Auditorium at the Institute for Collaboration, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora. The performance will feature costumes withanimal furs and shields, traditional background music and drumming, andexplanations of each dance. Al Jewer, accomplished multi-cultural flautist, will open the performance with hiscollection of more than 20 flutes. Additionally, the Cricket Hill drum group of Chicago will accompany the dancers. Nick Hockings, Ojibwe cultural consultant, directs the dance troupe.

Nov. 7: "Totem: The Return of the G’psgolox Pole,” a 70-minute film by Gil Cardinal Metis, will be screened at noon and 6:30 p.m. in the Schingoethe Center. In 1929, the G’psgolox, a funerary totem pole belonging to the Haisla people, was cut down and transported to Europe. It was discovered in a Swedish museum in 1991. The film recounts the efforts of members of the Haisla Nation from the village of Kitamaat to reclaim the sacred pole.

Nov. 13: Native American Vendors Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Dunham Hall lobby at 1400 Marseillaise Place in Aurora. Six vendors will showcase jewelry, dream catchers, pottery, sand paintings, South American Native American clothing, and other items.

Nov. 14: “Field Sketches Inspired by the Schingoethe Center,” a display of 28 pieces by members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Great Lakes chapter, opens with a reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Schingoethe Center. The display runs through Jan. 4, and includes drawings of plants and artifacts, is part of the 2007-2008 Celebrating Arts and Ideas series. Theexhibit builds on the theme of Native American Plants and  objects made from them. The artists spent hours in the Schingoethe Center painting and drawing artifacts in the collections. The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators was established in 1966 at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Scientific illustrators work on a variety of natural history subjectsfrom prehistory to modern day discoveries. They celebrate the world in all its complexity and strive to help communicate difficult concepts by creating dynamic, beautiful illustrations. 

Nov. 14: “Native American Uses of Plants” will be explored by Naperville resident Pat Armstrong at 6:30 p.m. in the Schingoethe Center. Her lecture will include specimens and slides. Armstrong has recreated a prairie environment at her residence. She received her M.A. in ecology and botany from the University of Chicago.

Nov. 20: “Teachings of the Tree People: The Work of Bruce Miller,” a film directed and produced by Katie Jennings, will be shown at noon and 6:30 p.m. in the Schingoethe Center. Released in 2006, the film runs for 57 minutes. Nationally acclaimed artist and Skokomish tribal leader, Gerald Bruce Miller (Subiyay) interpreted the sacred teachings of the natural world to anyonewho wanted to learn. A passionate student of the traditional culture, Bruce became the bearer of the language, oral history, art and spirituality of the Tuwaduq (Twana) and Southern Coast Salish peoples. This gentle and generous film documents his race against time and ailing health to pass the knowledge of his ancestors on to those who would listen.

Nov. 28: “Gwishalaayt: The Spirit Wraps Around You,” a 2002 film by Barb Cranmer (`Namgis) will be shown at noon and 6:30 p.m. in the Schingoethe Center. Gwishalaayt, “The Spirit Wraps Around You” in Tsimshian language, follows the work of six weavers and presents their woven regalia in cultural context at potlatches and other ceremonies. The weavers share their knowledge and personal experiences of practicing an art form that has become their way of life, while addressing misconceptions about weavings.Call (630) 844-7843 or visit www.aurora.edu/museum for more information.

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