A Rare Conversation Between Two Earth Protectors

FRIDAY, JUNE 21 - BENTONVILLE, AR: The Museum of Native American History (MONAH) and House of Songs are proud to present Walter Echo-Hawk and Gerald Torres for “Native Conversations: A Rare Conversation Between Two Earth Protectors” to be held Friday, June 21, 2019 at 6:30 PM. This event, generously funded by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, invites participants to sit down with two accomplished authorities in race theory, environmental law, and federal Indian Law. Topics will cover history, cultural stories and solutions to our ever changing climate. The evening is complemented by music from Watertown’s Jamie Lou and Garrett Brolund, with Gerald Torres on blues harmonica. 

Walter Echo-Hawk: Walter Echo-Hawk is a lawyer, law professor, author, and activist.  He is a member of the Pawnee Nation, belonging to the Kitkehaki Band, born on the Pawnee reservation in Oklahoma. After becoming the first Native American to graduate from the University of New Mexico Law School in 1970, he joined Native American Rights Fund, or NARF, in 1973 where he made it his mission to educate Native Americans on Native legal and political issues. During his time with NARF, he was a true pioneer and symbol of Indian law. As a speaker and professor, Walter Echo-Hawk has extensively discussed Native American history, religious freedom in Native America, federal Indian law, social justice and human rights, economic development in Indian country, and many more topics pertaining to Native preservation and education.

Gerald Torres: Gerald Torres is a leading figure in critical race theory, environmental law and federal Indian Law and has previously served as the Bryant Smith Chair in Law at the University of Texas School of Law, as well as Associate Dean at the University of Minnesota Law School. He is the former president of the Association of American Law Schools, has served as deputy assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and as counsel to the then-U.S. attorney general Janet Reno. He has previously taught at Harvard, Stanford, and Yale law schools.

House of Songs: The House of Songs invites songwriters from around the world to share the universal language of music in collaborations designed to bridge cultures, build friendships and cultivate peace. Nestled in the heart of the Ozark mountains, Bentonville is the epicenter of a unique and diverse community that continues to attract visitors and residents from around the world. The House of Songs Ozarks is a fully restored Victorian house built in 1892 by located in downtown Bentonville. The town is home to a growing community of artisans and restaurateurs, and artists visiting the Ozark House have an opportunity to live and work right in the middle of it all.  The House of Songs aims to create bridges between Songwriters, Composers, and Artists of all kinds in the NorthWest Arkansas Region through the Art of Songwriting, collaboration and friendship.

MONAH will host Native Conversations: A Rare Conversation Between Two Earth Protectors as a free event that is open to all ages. Participants can reserve their free spot online through the MONAH website, www.monah.us or by calling the museum phone, 479-273-2456.

Matriarch

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 - BENTONVILLE, AR: The Museum of Native American History (MONAH) is proud to host Matriarch to be held Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 5:30PM, with a corresponding Creative Visions workshop to be held earlier in the day at 3:00PM. The event, supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, will be led by Matriarch, an intertribal Indigenous women’s group that works to raise awareness in communities of the accomplishments and struggles Indigenous women face daily. They will take guests through performance art pieces designed to highlight the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement, including a spoken word performance and a coordinating Creative Visions interactive workshop.

The Matriarch women will perform a spoken word performance, speaking to each letter of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, their personal connection to the subject, and statistics on MMIW. Each brings her own unique style of performance that incorporates their Indigenous languages and culture.

Guests will be invited to understand more about Native life and traditions through a hands-on Creative Visions Workshop. As a part of Native culture, handkerchiefs have been used as an awareness tool and will be utilized in a one of a kind workshop as part of Matriarch that will reveal their use in Indigenous culture, both historically and contemporarily.

Matriarch: Matriarch is a Native led program empowering Native women through education, community building, and direct services to create positive change within communities. By empowering Native women, Matriarch also empowers Native children and builds leaders within the home and community. This leadership positively impacts Native lives, creates stronger communities and decreases rates of violence and abuse. Services include domestic and sexual abuse education, cultural re-connection, suicide prevention, financial planning, physical, mental and spiritual health education, job market preparation, and healthy relationship guidance. Matriarch provides education and services through Native speakers who are leaders and subject matter experts in these fields.