Aaron Bird Bear and Omar Poler will be leading a presentation for The University Roundtable speaker series on Oct. 16 titled, “Our shared future: Teaching the 12,000-year human story of campus.”
Bird Bear (Mandan and Hidasta) is the School of Education’s assistant dean for student diversity programs and is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. Poler, the interim American Indian Curriculum Services Consultant in the School of Education, is an enrolled member of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community.
Bird Bear and Poler will discuss UW-Madison’s new “Our Shared Future” heritage marker, which is advancing efforts to teach the 12,000-year history of the land that now makes up UW-Madison’s campus.
This is following the University’s public acknowledgment of the 1832 treaty between the Ho-Chunk Nation and the United States, as well as the failed 19th-century ethnic cleansing attempts against the Ho-Chunk people from 1832-1874, violence which was central to the founding of campus and Madison’s local community.
Bird Bear developed the First Nations Heritage Tour on campus to promote understanding of the history of Madison’s landscapes and address major racial equity issues. It was originally developed for American Indian students adjusting to college life, and has since been adapted for use in curriculum. Over the past three years, there have been more than 250 tours.
The University Roundtable presentation will be held Wednesday, Oct. 16 in Tripp Commons at Memorial Union from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The registration deadline is Oct. 8; the cost for each lunch is $12.
Please visit this link to register.