Women leading the way: Discussing Indigenous education
Griffin Forum panelists in the Opperman Auditorium March 15. Courtesy of Sarita Puri.
Women Leading the Way: Indigenous Education will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on March 30 at the Park Library Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium. The panel is open to the public.
The event is sponsored by Native American Programs and the Olga J. and G. Roland Denison Visiting Professorship of Native American Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, according to Central Michigan University’s website.
Christi Brookes is a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts. She said the panel will feature four Indigenous women whose work is related to education.
According to the CMU website, the speakers are:
· “Christina Sharp, Education Director, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
· Dr. Suzanne Cross, Associate Emeritus, Michigan State University
· Michelle Simms, PK-12 Education Specialist, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
· Eva Menefee, Lead Faculty Advisor, Lansing Community College.”
Brookes said the discussion will focus on the women leaders in the Indigenous education. She also said the panelists will talk about how school curriculum can be indigenized now and the future of Indigenous education. The panelists will also raise a question of how universities like CMU can play a role in helping with indigenizing curriculum.
“We all live and work on lands that were and are still Indigenous lands,” Brookes said. “(Attending events like that) is a part of being a good neighbor and a good partner.”
Brookes said she hopes those who attend get to learn more on what is happening around education and how it will look like in the future.
