Full Year Calendar
Use these links to easily navigate through the calendar below.
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter | ||||||
| September | October | November | January | February | March | April | May | June |
Fall Quarter
Indigenous Chicago
September 12 to January 4 | Newberry – Trienens Galleries, 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610
Description: Chicago has long been a historic crossroads for many Indigenous people and remains home to an extensive urban Native community. Yet most Chicagoans are unaware of the city’s history as a home to diverse Indigenous peoples and the vibrant Indigenous communities present today. this exhibition reflects the dynamic and complex aspects of Native life in Chicago from the seventeenth century to the present. View the calendar for this exhibition .
Sponsored by: The Newberry Library
No Rest: The Epidemic of Stolen Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2Spirits
September to December 2024 | Mitchell Museum, 3001 Central Street, Evanston, IL, 60208
Due to overwhelming public interest, the Mitchell Museum is pleased to extend our No Rest: The Epidemic of Stolen Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2Spirits exhibit through 2024. Visitors now have additional time and opportunities to learn more about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two spirits (MMIWG2S) through this powerful exhibit featuring 35 original works from 12 Indigenous artists.
Sponsored by: Mitchell Museum
Ojibwe Language Circle
September 25, 6:00pm CT | CNAIR House, 515 Clark St, Evanston, IL, 60208
Come hang out and practice Ojibwe in a casual, friendly 宅男福利导航. Food is served. Open to all ages and skill levels. Contact ForrestBruce2024@u.northwestern.edu if you have any questions.
Sponsored by: Indigenous Graduate 宅男福利导航 Collective (IGSC), Office of Institutional Diversity & Inclusion (OIDI), Center for Native American & Indigenous Research (CNAIR), One Book One 宅男福利导航 (OBON), Multicultural 宅男福利导航 Affairs (MSA), Linguistics Department=
Native American Dance and Regalia
September 28,1:00pm CT | Newberry – Ruggles Hall,60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610
Join us for performances by the Black Hawk Performance Company, introduced by Dorene Wiese, interspersed with a presentation by photographer Sharon Hoogstraten about regalia used by Potawatomi tribes across the nation. Register for this event .
Sponsored by: The Newberry Library
Native American & Indigenous Strategic Plan Kick-Off
October 2, 5:30pm CT | Segal Visitors Center, 1841 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60208
This Kick-Off Event will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Native American and Indigenous Strategic Plan and how you can be a part of the Jiimaan Journey. Interactive Activities, Giveaways, and Food.
Sponsored by: Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
Tipi Tales From The Stoop
October 4, 7:30pm CT | Abbott Hall, 710 N. Lakeshore Drive Chicago, IL
Written and performed by Murielle Borst-Tarrant, Directed by Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp Wirtz Center Chicago. Purchase tickets here:
New York City has always been a gathering and trading place for many Indigenous peoples, where Native Nations intersected from all four directions since time immemorial. It was a place to gather and sometimes to seek refuge during times of conflict and struggle. Borst-Tarrant’s family first came to New York City from Virginia in the late 1800s, bought a house in Brooklyn, and raised four generations. This story is about how they as a family had to keep tradition alive. The survival of genocide, relocation, the boarding school system and the outlaw by the United States Government that they could not practice their cultural traditions. The story is about her family’s triumph of will, dysfunction, and historical trauma through laughter. Her personal tapestry of stories being brought up in Brooklyn in a Mafia run neighborhood when they were the only Natives on the block. And this is just one Tipi Tale of the city. This program is made possible in part through funding from the Astere E. Claeyssens Artist-in-Residence program.
Sponsored by: Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, School of Communication, the Department of Theatre and Dance
CNAIR AY25 — Artists and Elders in Residence
October 8 to October 18 | Various Locations
CNAIR is excited to host two Master Storytellers, Artists and Elders — Fern Renville and Roger Fernandes — to spend two weeks in Evanston. Below is the schedule of events.
- Tuesday, October 8, 9-10:30am CT - Welcome Breakfast at CNAIR House (515 Clark St)! Come meet the artists & elders and help us welcome them to campus!
- Wednesday, October 9, 2-4pm CT - Harvest Session in LaBagh Woods - we are looking for invasive wild iris and buckthorn and we'll see what else!
- Thursday, October 10, 3-6pm CT - Artmaking and Storytelling at Dept of Art Theory and Practice, KRESGE, Flex Studio 4
- Friday, October 11, 4-6pm CT - Harvest Session in LaBagh Woods
- Wednesday, October 16, 3-6pm CT - Artmaking and Storytelling at Dept of Art Theory and Practice, KRESGE, Flex Studio 4
- Friday, October 18, 6pm-7:30pm CT - Storytelling at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 Central Street, Evanston
For full information on an updating schedule, click . RSVP using the link .
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Research
Utilizing The Night Watchman Teaching Guide
October 10, 12:00pm CT | Virtual on Zoom
Register here:
Support your students as they process and make meaning of The Night Watchman, the 2024–25 One Book One 宅男福利导航 selection, by delving into this new 宅男福利导航 Teaching Guide! Teaching Guide authors from the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion will highlight important themes of the novel and suggest instructional designs, teaching activities, and authentic assessments that can help bring the content to life. Topics will include Indigenous pedagogy, trauma-informed pedagogy, engaged learning, decolonization, language, storytelling, and citizenship.
Sponsored by: Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching and The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
宅男福利导航 Night at the Art Institute
October 10, 2:00pm to 8:00pm CT | Art Institute, 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603
All 宅男福利导航 faculty, staff, and student Wildcardholders AND their guests enjoy free admission to the museum. No RSVP needed to attend. Visit the 宅男福利导航 welcome desk in Michigan Ave entrance upon arrival for your museum ticket and information about tours.
From 5:30-6:30 PM, there will be an exclusive small group tour centering on themes related to The Night Watchman. Join multidisciplinary artist and lecturer Dulce Diaz for this tour inspired by themes in this year's 宅男福利导航 One Book selection, The Night Watchman. In the past, they are first-come-first-serve or there is a sign-up at the museum desk. No advance reservations to be on the tour available/allowed. For more info, including details about free Ventra passes, .
Sponsored by: 宅男福利导航 Organizations & Activities
Mapping Indigenous Chicago
October 10, 6:00pm CT | Virtual on Zoom
Chicago has long been a historic crossroads for many Indigenous people and remains home to an extensive urban Native community. Yet most Chicagoans are unaware of the city’s history as home to diverse Indigenous peoples and the vibrant Indigenous communities present today. This exhibition reflects the dynamic and complex aspects of Native life in Chicago from the seventeenth century to the present. Free and open to all. Register for this event .
Sponsored by: The Newberry Library
Indigenous Peoples' Day — Free Admission to the Mitchell Museum
October 14, 10:00am to 5:00pm CT | 3001 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201
Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the culture and history of Native people past, present, and future. Join us at the Mitchell Museum to celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of Indigenous cultures with FREE admission to the museum all day. Bring your friends and your family to enrich your understanding of Indigenous histories and cultures and enjoy guided craft activities. The full schedule of events is coming soon! More information .
Sponsored by: Mitchell Museum
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Powwow
October 14, 4:00pm to 8:00pm CT | ETHS Fieldhouse. 1600 Dodge Ave. Evanston, IL, 60208
Join us on October 14th, for the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian’s first-ever community powwow in partnership with Evanston Township High School. The Indigenous Peoples Day Powwow is free and is open to the public. This historic community event celebrates our forthcoming rebranding and honors the achievements of Illinois’s Native community, including the state-wide inclusion of Indigenous histories in public schools and the establishment of the state’s first Indian Reservation for the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation.
Sponsored by: Mitchell Museum, ETHS
Author Louise Erdrich, in conversation with faculty Co-Chairs Bryan Brayboy and Megan Bang
October 15, 5:00pm CT | Pick Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle, Evanston, IL, 60208
Register here:
Please join us for the One Book keynote with author Louise Erdrich, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Night Watchman. One Book faculty Co-Chairs Dean Bryan Brayboy and Professor Megan Bang will join her in conversation. Books will be available for purchase following the keynote conversation. This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsored by: One Book One 宅男福利导航, Office of the Provost, The Block Museum, Center For Native American And Indigenous Research, 宅男福利导航 University Native American and Indigenous 宅男福利导航 Alliance, School of Education and Social Policy
One Book Keynote with Louise Erdrich Watch Party
October 15, 5:00pm CT | Thorne Auditorium, 宅男福利导航 Pritzker School of Law, 375 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL
Register here:
Join the Chicago Campus for a live stream watch party of the One Book keynote from Evanston. At the event we will provide information and sign-up for OBON book discussion group. Free and open. Must register. Light refreshments will be provided after the viewing.
Sponsored by: Native American Law 宅男福利导航s Association, Staff Equity Alliance, The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
The Night Watchman: One Book One 宅男福利导航 Collection Talk
October 17,12:30pm CT | Virtual on Zoom
RSVP for this event here:
Join Block Museum Academic Curator, Corinne Granof, for a talk considering an artwork from the Block’s collection that reflects on the complexities of oppression, tradition, solidarity, and community, themes central to The Night Watchman.
Sponsored by: Block Museum of Art
Indigenous Artists and the Archives
October 20,6:00pm CT | Hybrid, Zoom and the Newberry Library, 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610
This program will be held in-person at the Newberry Library and livestreamed on Zoom. The online version of this event will be live captioned. Please register at this link here.
Join Indigenous artists whose works are featured in our “Indigenous Chicago” exhibition as they discuss how their research in the Newberry archives informed their art.
Sponsored by: The Newberry Library
Shutting Down the Great Lakes Oil Pipeline with the Bad River Band
October 21, 5:30pm CT | Jane Addams Hull-House Museum Dining Hall, 800 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL, 60607
RSVP for this event .
Bad River is an Ojibwe community on Lake Superior famous for its wild rice, wetlands and sturgeon-supporting rivers. Since 2013, the tribe has been in a protracted struggle with Enbridge, a Canadian pipeline corporation, to remove a 71 year-old pipeline from the reservation and the Great Lakes watershed. What happens at Bad River has ramifications for the entire Great Lakes region. Chicago is linked to the pipeline in question and is one of the biggest users of the oil sands that course through it. Through the event, we hope to raise awareness and engagement with the related issues.
Sponsored by: The Freshwater Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago
Politics of Poetics: Heid E. Erdrich and Andrea Carlson
October 26, 2:00pm to 3:00pm CT | Edlis Neeson Theater, 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL ,60611
Tickets provided
Politics of Poetics is a series of readings and workshops that highlights influential contemporary poets whose practices traverse the political through writing, teaching, and activism. This fall, poet Heid E. Erdrich reads new work and selections from her award-winning book of poetry, Little Big Bully (2020) and Curator of Ephemera at the New Museum of Archaic Media (2017). Following the reading, Erdrich is joined in conversation with artist Andrea Carlson, whose work provides the cover art for Little Big Bully, and is .
Prior to the talk, Erdrich gives at the . Registration for the workshop is required; tickets are available through the Center for Native Futures. ASL interpretation and English CART captioning are provided for the talk.
Sponsored by: Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Sand Creek Massacre Commemoration: Film Screening and Discussion
November 6, 3:30-4:30pm CT | Block Museum of Art — Auditorium, 40 Arts Circle Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
In the spirit of healing, the Native American and Indigenous 宅男福利导航 Alliance (NAISA), Multicultural 宅男福利导航s Affairs (MSA), Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI), and the Center for Native American & Indigenous Research (CNAIR) invites our community to reflect on 宅男福利导航's role in supporting the healing efforts of Cheyenne and Arapaho communities. We will be screening the film “Only the Mountains and the Earth” and a CNAIR Faculty affiliate will help lead a discussion following the screening. After the event, we will gathering outside of the Block Museum to smudge and be in community as needed.
Join us in this 3-part series to learn about the Sand Creek Massacre and 宅男福利导航’s place in this history. Join us at one or all three events.
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
Drop-in Hours: Native American and Indigenous Strategic Plan
November 7, 10:00-11:00am CT | Online
Register for this event .
Native American & Indigenous Affairs will be holding monthly drop-in sessions as an opportunity for any 宅男福利导航 members to ask questions and receive consultation or guidance without needing a prior appointment. Drop-in sessions will be an hour long- stay for as little or as long as you need. Registrants may also listen in and learn without sharing individual examples or questions.
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, One Book
Sand Creek Massacre Commemoration: Making Activity
November 11, 4:30-6:30pm CT | University Library Book Nook, 1970 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
Join us in the second part of this series to learn about the Sand Creek Massacre and 宅男福利导航's place in this history. We will be making tobacco ties, custom pins, and a banner that will be used for the Procession planned for November 18, 2024.
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, One Book
By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land
November 11, 7:00pm CT | Online, Zoom
Register for this event .
In July 2020, nearly 200 years after the lands of Eastern Oklahoma were promised to Native Americans, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma reaffirmed the reservation of the Muscogee Nation, resulting in the largest restoration of tribal land in our nation’s history. This history-changing case started in a surprising place: a small-town murder and the decades-long death penalty appeal of the convicted man. In "By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land," Rebecca Nagle, an award-winning reporter and citizen of Cherokee Nation, uses the case as a springboard for the larger story of the long fight for tribal sovereignty in Eastern Oklahoma. Her in-depth reportage becomes personal as Nagle uncovers the complicated role her own forebears played in the removal of her tribe from their ancestral lands. She delves into the whitewashed story of “The Trail of Tears” that forcibly removed 80,000 Indigenous peoples living east of the Mississippi and sent them into exile. It is a story of greed, corruption, and lawlessness, as well as historic acts of Indigenous resistance. Nagle will be in conversation with Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy, Ph.D. (Lumbee), dean of 宅男福利导航 University’s School of Education and Social Policy and the Carlos Montezuma Professor of Education and Social Policy.
Sponsored by: Family Action Network
NU Dining - Native American Heritage Month Celebration
November 11, 11:30am-1:30pm ct | Norris University Center, Ground Floor, 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60201
Indigenous Chef Jessica Walks First from Ketapanen Kitchen will present and provide food for the NU Community. On the menu are bison burger sliders with blackberry aioli, elote pasta salad, and maple baked beans. There will also be a drum and dance performance by Iron Bear Singers.
Sponsored by: NU Dining
Honoring Our Partners Fall Panel
November 12, 1:00-2:30pm CT | Online
Register for this event .
Join us for a panel this fall to learn about the work these panelists have been doing to support the Native American and Indigenous Strategic Plan. Attendees will also have an opportunity to consider how they can commit to the Strategic Plan in their roles at 宅男福利导航 and join the Jiimaan Journey!
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, One Book
NAIS Grad Cluster Book Club: Assembled for Use by Kelly Wisecup
November 12, 5:30-7:00pm CT | Kresge Hall, Kaplan Conference Room 2-351, 1880 Campus Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
NAIS minor, NAIS Cluster students, and CNAIR Fellows are encouraged to come together this for a quarterly book club with Profs Megan Bang and Doug Kiel, exploring new and important works in Native American and Indigenous Studies! Contact Michaela Marchi (michaela.marchi@northwestern.edu) if interested.
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Research
Cara Romero in Conversation: 宅男福利导航s Shape the Collection
November 13, 6:00pm CT | Block Museum of Art – Auditorium, 40 Arts Cir Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
Register for this event . Join us in celebrating the Block Museum 宅男福利导航 Associates’ acquisition of artist Cara Romero’s photographs, "TV Indians" (2017) and "Amber Morningstar" (2020), both currently on view at the museum! Romero’s nuanced works explore themes of identity and tradition and poke fun at the many ways Indigenous communities have been misrepresented and stereotyped in American culture.
Sponsored by: Block Museum of Art
Heartland Transformed: Race, Power, and Resistance in the Midwest
November 14, 5:30-7:00pm CT | Norris Center Dittmar Memorial Gallery, 1999 Campus Dr, Evanston, IL 60201
Register for this event .
Please join us for a buffet dinner and discussion with 宅男福利导航 History Professor Doug Kiel, a citizen of the Oneida Nation, who studies Native American history. This event is free, but registration is required.
From enduring Indigenous struggles and 宅男福利导航al justice movements to the rise of labor activism and civil rights campaigns, indigenous peoples and communities of color have confronted oppression, striving for empowerment and resilience amidst challenges and setbacks in the Midwest. This presentation delves into how their efforts underscore the dynamic nature of the Midwest, revealing a region shaped by both struggle and the enduring pursuit of racial justice and transformation.
Sponsored by: Dittmar Gallery, Department of History, Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, One Book
Friends, Food, and Fire
November 15, 6-8pm CT | Parkes Hall, Room 122, 6-7pm — CNAIR House, 7-8pm
Engage with the TGS Indigenous community through food, warm beverages, and outdoor bonfire, and celebration of Native American Heritage and Culture. Bring your craft projects, stories, and friends! hosted by the Indigenous Graduate 宅男福利导航 Collective and co-sponsored by the Graduate School's Office and Diversity and inclusion.
Sponsored by: The Graduate School
47th Annual Benefit - Michell Museum
November 16, 6:00pm – 9:00pm CT | Palmhouse, 619 Howard Street, Evanston, IL, 60208
You're Invited to the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian 47th Annual Benefit Time: VIP Reception and Book Signing-5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Gala-6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Guest of Honor: Sean Sherman (Oglala Lakota), award-winning chef, educator, author, and activist. Chef Sean Sherman Founder/Senior Director of Vision. Purchase tickets .
OBON Book Discussion for The Alumnae Board Members
November 18, 10:00am CT | Lake Room of Norris Center, 1999 Campus Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
Book Discussion for Board Members led by board member Elise Barack, a professional book leader.
Sponsor: The Alumnae of 宅男福利导航 University Board
Sand Creek Massacre Commemoration: Procession and Fire
November 18, 4:30-6:00pm CT | John Evans Alumni Center, 1800 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60201
Join us in the third part of this series to learn about the Sand Creek Massacre and 宅男福利导航's place in this history. We will walk about 0.7 miles and end at the CNAIR house at 515 Clark Street for a fire, reflection, and warm drinks.
Weather can be unpredictable during this time of year, so please plan accordingly. There are no stairs along the walking route, and it follows a paved concrete path, however, the route ends on a lawn with grass and some uneven ground.
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, One Book
Voices for Justice: 23rd U.S. Poet Luareate Joy Harjo
November 18, 6:00pm-7:00pm CT | Harold Washington Library, 400 S State Street, Chicago, IL 60605
Chicago Public Library is pleased to welcome the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo as part of our Voices for Justice Series and as our closing program to Native American Heritage Month.
Sponsored by: Chicago Public Library
Inuit Ecohorror: Spirits and Law Breaking in Nyla Innuksuk's "Slash/Back"
November 20, 5:00pm CT | Hagstrum Room, University Hall 201, 1897 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208
Indigenous horror is a genre of storytelling that seeks to address the effects of settler-colonialism and racial capital on Indigenous lifeworlds. Within film, Indigenous horror reinterprets the visual language of mainstream culture to process historical trauma and to provide Indigenous viewers with potent fantasies of revenge and retribution. Understanding how contemporary horror emerges from traditional storytelling traditions allows us to understand how these texts appropriate mainstream visual idioms in service of Indigenous cultural resurgence. For example, tales of law breaking and taboo crossing form part of Inuit pedagogical practices regarding survival and resilience. This talk discusses the ecohorror of Nyla Innuksuk’s Slash/Back in the context of traditional practices and contemporary Inuit filmmaking to show how the film negotiates climate change as a problem stemming from the antithesis between settler and Indigenous laws and norms.
Sponsored by: Center for Native American and Indigenous Reserach, Environmental Policy and Culture Program
Indigenous People and the Chicago Portage
November 21, 6:00pm CT | Hybrid, Zoom and the Newberry Library, 60 W Walton St, Chicago, IL 60610
This program will be held in-person at Ruggles Hall in the Newberry Library and livestreamed on Zoom. The online version of this event will be live captioned. Please register at this link .
In this edition of “Conversations at the Newberry,” historian John William Nelson discusses researching issues of land use and landscape change, focusing on the Indigenous history of Chicago waterways, with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Eric Hemenway and Raphael Wahwassuck.
Sponsor: The Newberry Library
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian - November Free Day
November 27, 10:00am-5:00pm CT | 3001 Central St, Evanston, IL, 60201
Join us for a day of free admission at the Mitchell Museum. Our monthly Museum Free Days will include Indigenous Artists Pop-Up Markets! Each month, visit and shop with different local Indigenous artists.
Sponsored by: Mitchell Museum, Grace Lutheran Church