TCC Celebrates Native American Heritage

TCC celebrates Native American Heritage Month with presentations, including a masters workshop and recital during the month of November.

Celebrations begin next week at Southeast Campus with two events hosted by the Global Studies Department and Student Activities. On Tuesday, Kenneth Roemer, English professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, will discuss “The Sacred in the Mundane in Native American Literature.” In addition, Corby Baxter, a UTA doctorate student, will present “Humor in Native American Literature.” The celebration will be at 1 p.m. in the North Ballroom. Light refreshments will be served. A tipi also will be displayed exhibiting Native American Artifacts.

Additionally, Native American dancers will perform between classes on Southeast from 12:50 to 1 p.m. and from 2:20 to 3 p.m. in the Commons.

On Monday, Nov. 29, “Celebrating Your Gifts,” a Master Class Workshop will be held from 12:20 to 1:15 p.m. at Northwest Campus in the Fine Arts Building, WFAB 1105. A joint recital of Northwest music instructor Kathryn Garber and international performer Barbara McAlister will be Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in the WFAB 1105.

McAlister is an American dramatic mezzo-soprano of Cherokee Indian heritage. In addition to her career as an opera and concert soloist, Ms. McAlister is a renowned Native American visual artist. Her paintings have been shown at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum and Jacobson House in Oklahoma, galleries in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, with many of her works now in private collections throughout the United States and Europe. She is the 1999 recipient of the Cherokee Medal of Honor.

Trinity River Campus has engaged its Community Circle of 5 in its Native American Heritage celebration. The communities are reading information from the National Museum of the American Indian. The circles of faculty, staff and administrators will meet to discuss the implications of American Indian perspectives on Thanksgiving.

Trinity has 36 circles as part of the campus-wide initiative to explore and celebrate the uniqueness of each person on campus. Circles meet at least monthly to discuss and to reflect in writing on the same diversity topic, all related to the campus Hallmark of Multicultural Competence and Language Acquisition.