The second episode which covers Madison, this segment gives insight into some of Madison’s lesser known features.

Bird Bear developed the First Nations Heritage Tour 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.

Bird Bear is the School of Education’s assistant dean for student diversity programs and also serves as the multicultural/
disadvantaged coordinator for School. He also oversees the summer College Access Program for high school students, the Summer Education Research Program for prospective graduate students, and the American Indian Curriculum Services unit, which coordinates Wisconsin Indian education efforts in teacher education programs.

On “Around the Corner with John McGivern,” Bird Bear shares information about the effigy mounds on the UW-Madison campus. He tells McGivern that UW-Madison is likely one of the most archaeologically rich campuses in the nation. Although some mounds were destroyed during construction, Bird Bear shares a 100-year-old map that shows the multiple effigies on campus.

The segment of the program featuring Bird Bear begins around the 10-minute, 30-second mark of this YouTube video.