WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University‘s Native American Educational and Cultural Center will host several events to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
“This year, our theme is ‘Tribal Sovereignty: The Politics and Complexity of Preserving Indigenous Rights in the U.S.,'” said center director Felica Ahasteen-Bryant. “The concept of independent nations within the U.S. is a difficult topic for non-Natives to comprehend. NAECC cultural programs will be an excellent opportunity to engage the larger community into challenges we face as native people and to highlight unique legal, economic and cultural issues associated with sovereignty.”
One of the highlights of this year's observance will be a talk by Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux). Mills, who won the 10,000-meter event in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, will speak from 7-8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Feature Gym of the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center.
