The largest gathering to date, the sixth mini-conference, hosted by the George W. Brown Ojibwe Museum and Cultural Center, took place on May 2 & 3, 2013. The activities and sessions incorporated youth, elders, and artists. Participants etched birchbark medallions, learned about preserving baskets, preparing emergency plans, and using iPads to create video–all with the intent of, as Anton Treuer descibed, “making the most of tribal elders, language, and culture”. TLAM students shared their posters of the three service-learning projects with the Oneida Nation, Red Cliff Band, and Ho-Chunk Nation.
Thursday evening’s activities included:
- Tours of the Peter Christensen Health Center, the Wellness Center, the Woodland Indian Art Center, the Boarding School restoration project, the George W. Brown Jr. Ojibwe Museum and Cultural Center, and the surrounding community.
- Meal and school tour provided by the ENVISION program at the Lac du Flambeau Public School.
- Birchbark medallion etching with Greg “Biskakone” Johnson.
Friday activities included presentations and workshops by:
- Anton Treuer, Keynote: “From Elders to Archives: Making the Most of Tribal Elders, Language, and Culture” Anton Treuer is the Executive Director of the American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University. Anton discussed the importance of language and culture to tribal identity and success and gave a practical roadmap for how attendees can contribute to language and culture revitalization by working with elders, engaging resources, and maximizing efficiency by incorporating work in other tribal communities.
- Tom Braun – “The Preservation of Basketry” Tom Braun is the Objects Conservator at the Minnesota Historical Society. He described the fundamentals of basketry preservation, safe handling practices, basketry identification, care and storage, pest concerns, display issues, mounts and supports, cleaning and basic repair.
- Ben Grignon – “iPads and Instant Videos” Ben Grignon is an artist and the former school librarian for Menominee High School. Using iPads and the iMovie application, participants created instant videos of the gathering. Special attention was paid to filming interviews with guest speakers, elders, and language speakers. The videos were uploaded to YouTube and privately shared with participants.
- Katie Mullen – “Keeping Cultural Heritage Objects Safe During an Emergency” Katie Mullen is the Preservation Coordinator of the Libraries and Archives at the Wisconsin Historical Society. In her workshop, participants explored the basics of an emergency preparedness plan for their institution by learning about recent institution disasters, reviewing the components of a risk assessment form, and considering frameworks for making decisions in emergency situations.
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All photos taken by Della Nohl
Downloads:
CCK 6 Agenda