Disaster Response Team ‘Lumberjacks’ Helped Clear Hurricane-Hit Town
More people of Valdosta, GA, can repair their homes after Northern Illinois Conference’s early response volunteers removed fallen trees in that area.
This extended weekend event is planned by the Northern Illinois Conference's Anti-Racism Task Force, Committee on Native American Ministries, and the Midwest SOARRING Foundation.
Midwest SOARRING Foundation 2024 Harvest Pow Wow
Oct. 12, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Oct. 13, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
DuPage County Fairgrounds
Visit the Midwest SOARRING Foundation Webpage
NIC Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration
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Featuring presenters Brian Fox Ellis, Bill Buchholtz, Gerald Savage, Taylor Thornton, and Jody Roy
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Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Starved Rock Lodge, Starved Rock State Park, Oglesby, IL 61348
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Free and open to the public
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Optional lunch (see below).
Hear indigenous viewpoints on the events and concerns thatshaped our history and inform our world today. Non-indigenous visitors will learn about native traditions and outlooks through word, sound, and food. You'll leave wanting to learn even more about the indigenous cultures that are integral to the American experience.
Enjoy presentations by Indigenous people, music, food, display and vendor tables. Children and youth activities will also be available.
Optional Meal
For a small fee, take part in an indigenous meal of fry bread, soups, salad, and fruit.
Adult/youth: $20
Children (6-12 years): $8
Five years and under: FREE
Meals are guaranteed ONLY for those who register in advance.
If available, meals may be purchased onsite for $25 each (CASH ONLY).
Advance Learning Sessions (Online)
Advance preparation for the event included hearing from some experts on indigenous peoples' concerns and cultures. You can view the presentations below
Dates and presenters:
- Sept. 10: Gerald Savage:
A Brief History of the Reintroduction of Native Americans into Illinois
(watch the recording) - Sept. 17: Amy Allan:
Harmonious Kinship with the Land
(watch the recording) - Sept. 24: Dr. Dorene Wiese:
Healing the Urban American Indian Erasure
(watch the recording)
(download the chat) - Oct. 1: Rev. Chebon Kernel:
Indigenous Sovereignty: Respecting the Voices of Self-Determination
(watch the recording)
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) were available for those who complete all four Zoom learning sessions and attend two hours of planned events with assignments at the Pow Wow and/or the Indigenous People's Day event.
Meet Our Speakers and Teachers
Amy N. Allan
Amy N. Allan is a professor of Hebrew Bible and a Ph.D. student at NAIITS An Indigenous Learning Community, with research interests in Native American studies, patristic and rabbinic interpretations of Scripture, anthropomorphic language for God, ancient Near Eastern culture, Old Testament prophets, rhetoric, and feminist and Indigenous perspectives on Scripture. In addition, she serves as a Hebrew consultant on the First Nations Version Bible Translation Council. With a heart to serve those experiencing trauma, Amy provides spiritual care as a chaplain at Northwestern Medicine hospitals in the Chicago area. Her varied ministry flows from her own journey with Creator Sets Free and includes advocating for abuse survivors, leading worship in multi-ethnic churches, anti-racism activism, caring for those who are houseless, volunteering in programs supporting patients with craniofacial anomalies, and finding creative ways to engage and honor Native American traditions.
Bill Bucholtz
Bill Buchholtz, a highly respected Indian flute player, has worked since the 1990s with organizations such as the American Indian Center of Chicago, Midwest SOARRING, and the Anawim Center. Music has always been at the center of Bill’s life, especially after he was given a Native American flute by a Lakota elder. He had been taught by Elders to accept a gift with gratitude. He told her he didn’t know how to play it, to which she replied, “Yes, you do.” By listening to the Creator speak to his heart he learned it well. Bill has become well known through performances at numerous churches and interfaith groups, schools and universities, museums, and cultural events, including powwows. His cultural presentations feature his flute music and talks that touch upon the history and the cultural and spiritual significance of the instrument. He regularly plays both flute and piano at the bimonthly services at the St. Kateri Center as part of the United Methodist ministry of presence.
Brian Ellis
Brian “Fox” Ellis is a storyteller and historian, the author of more than 30 books, and a museum consultant who presents more than 300 programs a year at schools, conferences, museums, Chautauqua, libraries and theaters around the world. He is of Cherokee descent, performs at powwows, and has written multiple books, including Learning From The Land, Singing Up The Sun, Song Of The Red Fox, and Frog Songs. More information.
Rev. Chebon Kernell
Rev. Chebon Kernell has been an executive in The United Methodist Church for the past decade. He has worked for the General Board of Global Ministries and the denomination’s Native American Comprehensive Plan. In addition, he spends his time raising awareness, increasing advocacy, and supporting the empowerment of Native American and Indigenous communities globally. Chebon is of Seminole and Muscogee Creek heritage. He is a cultural practitioner and member of the Helvpe Ceremonial grounds of the Mvskoke Nation. Chebon is a land defender and water protector and has spoken across the world in defense of Mother Earth.
Jody Roy
Jody Roy is the director of the St. Kateri Center in Chicago. She is Ojibway and originally from Canada, from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation. The St. Kateri Center is currently the only Native American Christian Church in Northern Illinois.
Gerald Savage
Gerald Savage is a tribal elder with the Ho-Chunk Nation and a lower-level chief in the Bear clan. He is an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Speaker who has spoken at many colleges, museums, historical societies, schools, and libraries. His formal native name is Ho-Chunk Ska Ga (White Winnebago). Gerald’s grandparents were Chief Walks with the Wind and Princess Stands on a Cloud. They were very influential in the teaching of Gerald the native customs and ways. He carries on his grandfather’s tradition of educating people about their tribal ways and customs.
Taylor Thornton
Taylor Thornton, who hails from LaSalle County, IL, is a member of the LaSalle County Historical Society. She is a researcher for the University of Toronto and has worked with Indigenous peoples there. Her specialty is community archeology and collaborative research (working with Indigenous peoples) and data sovereignty. She is a P.hD. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto and longtime member and research associate with the LaSalle County Historical Society. As an archaeologist and geographer, her work is grounded in a commitment to community-based practices that recognize the authority of local knowledge, particularly in relation to historically excluded communities. She is currently collaborating with the Kitikmeot Heritage Society of Iqaluktuuttiaq/Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada, on a digital atlas prefaced on shared knowledge production between archaeologists and Inuit families. Prior to her graduate studies, Taylor completed two bachelor’s degrees at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and taught archaeological field methods for the Center for American Archeology, a not-for-profit research and education center in Kampsville, IL.
Dr. Dorene P. Wiese
Dr. Dorene P. Wiese is president of the American Indian Association of Illinois and Native American Educational Services College. She holds a doctorate in education focused on leadership and policy studies–adult education from Northern Illinois University, and is a retired administrator of the City Colleges of Chicago. Wiese is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe–White Earth Nation.