High Desert Museum launches Indigenous Speakers series to celebrate native cultures and knowledge
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The High Desert Museum is set to unveil a brand-new event series, the Indigenous Speakers Series, promising a vibrant showcase of Indigenous voices. The Indigenous Speakers Series will feature an array of Native artists, storytellers, scholars and more, providing the community with unique opportunities to engage with Indigenous perspectives.
“We are honored to collaborate with Indigenous knowledge holders to bring these vital conversations to our visitors,” said Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D., executive director of the High Desert Museum. “These speakers bring a wealth of knowledge that is sure to invite dialogue and offer a deeper understanding of cultures of the High Desert.”
One of the Indigenous Speaker Series events—“Stories are Good Medicine” on Sunday, October 6—features New York Times bestselling author Angeline Boulley. Renowned for her acclaimed novels "Warrior Girl Unearthed" and "Firekeeper's Daughter," Boulley will share her 38-year journey to publication and discuss the profound impact of Indigenous storytelling. Tickets are $15, with a 20% discount for Museum members and free entry for Tribal members. To purchase tickets and find more details, visit highdesertmuseum.org/stories-good-medicine.
The “Sensing Sasquatch Artist Mingle”—another Indigenous Speakers Series event happening Friday, September 13—offers an informal setting with a chance to meet and mingle with the Native artists behind the Museum’s Sensing Sasquatch exhibition. Guests will chat with the exhibition’s creators, delve into interactive sensory experiences and gain insights in the artis’ interpretations of their encounters with this non-human other. Tickets are $10 per person, with a 20% discount for Museum members and free entry for tribal members. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit highdesertmuseum.org/sasquatch-mingle.
On Wednesday, November 6, the Museum will host "Tribal Sovereignty & Water Rights: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Ongoing Relationship with Place." During this Indigenous Speakers Series event, Bobby Brunoe, CEO and Secretary/Treasurer for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Josh Newton, Partner at BBK Law, will explore the complexities of tribal sovereignty and water rights. This important discussion will highlight the crucial role of water to Tribes and their ongoing efforts to assert their rights. Tickets are $5, with a 20% discount for Museum members and free entry for Tribal members. For tickets, visit highdesertmuseum.org/tribal-sovereignty.
The Indigenous Speakers Series is made possible by The Roundhouse Foundation, with additional support from Author's Unbound for the October event.
To continue to engage with Indigenous cultures and perspectives with the High Desert Museum, visitors can explore the Sensing Sasquatch exhibition on view through January 12, 2025, and look forward to the upcoming exhibition Rick Bartow: Animal Kinship, from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation opening September 20, 2024. Renowned artist Rick Bartow (Mad River Band of the Wiyot Tribe, d. 2016) was born in Newport, where his family’s roots run deep, and grew up with close ties to the Siletz community.
For more information and to purchase tickets for Indigenous Speakers Series events, visit highdesertmuseum.org/indigenous-speakers-series.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM:
The HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
