Posted by: Carolyn Bobo
The 2009 International Indigenous Student Conference on Culture and the Environment April 15-16 will kick off the official launch of UNT’s new office of International Indigenous and American Indian Initiatives. UNT has the largest Native American enrollment among public universities in Texas.
Jonathan Hook, left, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, has been named director of the newly formed initiative. Hook formerly was director in the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 in Dallas. He was responsible for managing grants for the Environmental Justice and Tribal programs and ensuring that communities, including tribal communities, received fair and equitable treatment in environmental issues
This will be the third International Indigenous Student Videoconference and this year’s event will be available as a webcast. Learn about last year's conference.
The conference is sponsored by UNT and the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. portion of the conference will be April 15 at the Gateway Center, Room 049.
The videoconference also will include students from Russia and Malaysia. It will focus on art depicting global climate change and efforts within the Native peoples’ communities to deal with the problem. The conference will look at ways indigenous cultures affect and shape environmental protection in their communities.
Approximately 15 Native American students from Anadarko and Wetumka, Okla., will participate in the U.S. portion. Right, Kiowa participants from the 2008 conference. Events include:
April 15
• 5:45 p.m. -- Welcome dinner hosted by UNT’s First Nations Council, at the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building.
• After dinner -- “Wonders of the Universe” presentation at the UNT planetarium, and storytelling led by a Kiowa tribal leader.
• 9 p.m. -- video conference.
April 16
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. -- Traditional Native dance performances, University Union, One O’Clock Lounge.
• Lunch and and meeting for the dancers, tribal leaders, the newly formed Indigenous Advisory Council, and UNT faculty, staff and students. The advisory council will hold its first meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
"The University of North Texas has the largest Native American enrollment among public universities in Texas," says Hook. "In addition, UNT is halfway between the 37 tribes in Oklahoma and one of the largest American Indian population centers - the Dallas-Fort Worth area where there are approximately 50-75,000 American Indians. These factors, and the fact that our work with indigenous peoples frequently ties directly to our strength in environmental science, provide an opportunity and a responsibility for UNT to develop and implement responsive and culturally sensitive programs to serve regional and international Native students and communities."
"Our goal is to provide opportunities that indigenous communities want and need," says Hook. "The Indigenous Advisory Council, tribal leaders, and native communities will provide us guidance on the programs, projects, and areas of study that UNT can provide to fill the needs of the communities."
The office of International Indigenous and American Indian Initiatives at UNT is working on 32 different programs that are under way or planned to support Native American Communities.
5:33 PM
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