(download flyer)
The NorthEast Two-Spirit Society presents for this year’s National Native American Heritage Month:
Rights Denied: the Struggle for the Sacred and the Sovereign
An examination of the successes and failures of the American Indian Religious Freedom & Indian Child Welfare Acts.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of two significant laws in which the United States “gave” Native peoples’ the right to openly practice our traditional religions and a separate government “decree” that included Native American governments in the decisions about the fate of our children. Religious freedom and future generations are the heart of cultural preservation. A panel of distinguished Native American leaders and activists will examine the struggle for the sacred and the sovereign in the context of these two legislative acts.
Tuesday, Nov. 11th
6:00 to 8:00pmLGBT Community Center
208 West 13th Street, Room #301
New York, NY 10011
Panelists
Sharon Day, Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Task Force, a full service urban Native American institution that helps Native peoples face the daily battles of survival in an urban environment including housing, health, food, spiritual access and child welfare.
Tonya Gonnella Frichner, President and Founder of the American Indian Law Alliance. Dedicated to preserving the sovereignty and human rights of all Indigenous peoples, Tonya is the current North American representative of Indigenous peoples on the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations.
Debra White Plume, Executive Director of Owe Aku, Bring Back the Way. Owe Aku is a cultural and educational organization of traditional Lakota people who fight for sovereignty. Deeply involved in preservation of cultural foundations, Owe Aku, under Debra’s guidance, is on the front lines of defending sacred sites and communicating cultural tradition to future generations.
Moderated by Harlan Pruden
Admission is always free, though donations are accepted.
A growing List of co-sponsors (as of 10/25/08):
Hosted by the NorthEast Two-Spirit Society with the help of:
American Indian Community House, Audre Lorde Project, American Indian Law Alliance, First Voices Indigenous Radio, Indigenous Peoples Task Force, Native Peoples Forum of New York University, Native American Council of Columbia University, National Native American AIDS Prevention Center and Owe Aku (Bring Back the Way).
From the left, Crisosto Apache, Matthew Reed and Travis Goldtooth of the Two Spirit Society of Denver drum during a blessing Sunday at the National Conference on GLBT Equality.( Brian Brainerd, The Denver Post )
