The Everybody Reads event series is put on by the Multnomah County Library system and their Pageturners book group.
Everybody Reads 2020 celebrates Tommy Orange’s debut novel, There There.
The book follows 12 Native people in urban America as they travel to a powwow. Each character contends with issues of identity, memory, and belonging.
From Historical Trauma to Historical Wisdom: How A Generation Is Healing
Wed., Jan. 15, 6:30–7:45 pm • Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
The Indigenous 20-Something Project began as a movement to heal Native young adults from the lasting impacts of intergenerational trauma caused by colonization. In this interactive talk, Shalene Joseph (A’aniih, Athabascan) and Josh Cocker (Ka’igwu, Tongan) will share their perspectives on the power of historical wisdom to create resilience, hope and community connection.
Native Story Hour
Sat., Jan. 25, 12–1 pm • North Portland Library
Sat., Feb. 8, 2–3 pm • Holgate Library
Sat., Feb. 29, 11 am–12 pm • Troutdale Library
Come sing, listen, learn and celebrate. Join Karen Kitchen (Osage Nation) for this story hour featuring songs and books from Native cultures. Children, families, elders, aunties and uncles — everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be served.
An Intimate Evening with Katherine Paul of Black Belt Eagle Scout
Wed., Jan. 29, 7–8 pm • Native American Student and Community Center
710 SW (andrew) Jackson St., Portland (PSU campus)
Join singer-songwriter Katherine Paul (Swinomish, Iñupiaq) for an evening of music and conversation with her mother, Patricia Paul, J.D.
Made possible by The Library Foundation through support from The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Fund.
Celilo Collaborations: Sharing the Stories of a Place and Its People
Wed., Feb. 5, 6–7:30 pm; doors open at 5:30 pm Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave., Portland
The Native fishing community of Celilo Village, on the Columbia, has been home to Indigenous people for over 12,000 years. After World War II, it was threatened by many forces, including construction of The Dalles Dam. PSU historian Dr. Katrine Barber and Linda Meanus (Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation), an educator whose grandmother worked to protect Celilo, will discuss the ongoing significance of the place and its community.
The Native Wisdom Documentary Film Series
Thu., Feb. 6, 7–9:30 pm • The Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., Portland
Two films celebrate the efforts of Oregon’s Indigenous scientists, elders and culture keepers to preserve ecosystems where they gather first foods and medicines. The films, from Native nonprofit Wisdom of the Elders, demonstrate how Traditional Ecological Knowledge is influencing resource and wildlife management, giving hope to a changing world. Conversation with filmmakers Tim Keenan Burgess (Paiute, Shoshone) and Kunu Dittmer-Bearchum (Northern Cheyenne/Ho-Chunk Nation) to follow.
Indigenous Peoples of the Waters
Fri., Feb. 7, 7–8 pm • Bison Coffee House, 3941 NE Cully Blvd., Portland
Trevino Brings Plenty (Minneconjou Lakota) and Se-ah-dom Edmo (Shoshone-Bannock, Nez Perce, Yakama) share written works and life stories about people near a river. Trevino Brings Plenty uses poetry, music and storytelling to capture the humor, sadness and joy of contemporary Indian life. Se-ah-dom Edmo is a social justice activist, writer, educator and director of MRG Foundation. Se-ah-dom’s ancestors are from the fishing village of Celilo, one of the oldest known settlements in the West.
Indigenous Art in Oregon: From Time Immemorial Until Now
Thu., Feb. 13, 6:30–7:30 pm • Hollywood Library
PSU historian Dr. Tracy Prince presents forgotten moments in Oregon’s Native American history. She will explain how Native cultural art, which has survived time and cultural decimations, is expressed through basketry, canoes, longhouses, burial platforms, rock art and beadwork. She’ll introduce us to vibrant contemporary artists whose sculptures and paintings are internationally renowned.
There There Everywhere: Urban Native Experience in Portland, Chicago and Oakland
Wed., Feb. 19, 6:30–7:45 pm • Central Library, U.S. Bank Room
Join Theodore Van Alst (Lakota descent) as he talks about his linked short story collection, Sacred Smokes, which follows Teddy, a Native kid growing up in Chicago. He’ll discuss the urban Native experience as described in his work and There There. Dr. Van Alst is the Director of Indigenous Nations Studies at PSU.
Here, Here: PDX Urban Natives and Zinemaking
Sun., Feb. 23, 11 am–1 pm • Independent Publishing Resource Center, 318 SE Main St., #155, Portland
Celebrate your experience as an Indigenous person and make zines. Kesheena Doctor (Navajo) and Melanie Fey (Navajo) will talk about using zines within the Native community. Together, the class will create a collaborative zine about the urban Native experience. This workshop is geared towards the Native and Indigenous community, especially teens, who will receive a copy of the completed zine. Registration begins Feb. 10.
Event attendees will be entered for a chance to receive two free tickets to hear Tommy Orange on March 5.
© Elena Seibert
All abilities are welcome. For disability accommodations, call 503.988.5123 or email help@multcolib.org 2–3 days before a program.