Hartford Public Library, in partnership with the Greater Hartford Arts Council, will host a conversation and performance called “Indigenous Futures” taking place on Monday, October 12 at 6 pm
This event will celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and was planned in collaboration with local Indigenous HPL patrons and the Greater Hartford Arts Council Artist Advisory Committee. The event will feature poetry readings and musical performances, will be streamed live on HPL’s Facebook channel.
This Indigenous Peoples’ day, hear local Indigenous peoples’ visions for tomorrow. This summer we saw Indigenous artists and organizers shifting culture and society in conjunction with the Black Lives Matter movement: taking down statues of Christopher Columbus and other colonizers around the world, continuing to fight for and win legal victories in land treaties, and changing the name of the Washington Football Team are just a few examples. How do we continue decolonizing the land, our communities, as well as our minds and hearts? What does a pro-Indigenous future look like? Hear perspectives from Indigenous artists, academics, and community leaders.
“Hartford Public Library and the Greater Hartford Arts Council recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day by celebrating and highlighting local Indigenous artists and hosting a space for connection and education around issues important to Indigenous communities in Connecticut. We are especially interested in hearing how local Indigenous people are visioning the future of their communities and how all of us can support those visions,” said Liz Castle, HPL’s programmingmanager.
Featuring panelists Meghanlata Gupta, Kaleb Garrett, and others.
Lee Mixashawn Rozie
And featuring performances from Indigenous artists Bobby Sanchez, Lee Mixashawn Rozie, and others.
Panelist Bios
Meghanlata Gupta is an Indian and Ojibwe student at Yale University and works at the Native American Cultural Center. Her research and organizing work sits at the intersections of Indigenous advocacy, histories, and storytelling. She is also the founder of Indigenizing the News, a digital magazine dedicated to increasing Indigenous visibility in the news media and education.
Kaleb J Garrett is a Hartford resident of mixed heritage. He is African American and Native American of Nansemond, Haliwa Saponi and Tuscarora tribes.
Bobby Sanchez is a two spirit poet from New York. They are a performing artist, performing mostly poetry and hip hop music. They also teach music & poetry workshops in schools, and curate local shows in the NY area.
Lee Mixashawn Rozie is a practicing multi-disciplinary and internationally acclaimed Jazz artist. Mr. Rozie holds a degree in History and Ethnomusicology from Trinity College and is equally at home in academic and cultural settings. Beginning from the point of Indigenous artist, using ancient cultural principles, maritime arts and historical data, both written and oral, he has developed a system of “Hemispheric Principles” to inform and guide his artform, more directly referred to as “Wave Art” : sonic, aquatic percussive and harmonic.
For more information about Hartford Public Library, visit hplct.org.
For more information about the Greater Hartford Arts Council, visit letsgoarts.org.
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