Indigenous Forum – Listening to Wisdom Keepers
Unlike the “Western” culture which fetishizes youth, most traditional cultures deeply honor the wisdom that comes with age and experience. Wisdom Keepers play treasured roles in our communities passing on knowledge, values and practices that keep Indigenous Nations’ citizens healthy in mind, body and spirit. This historic panel features a discussion among highly respected Indigenous leaders who have not only played a tremendous role in their own traditional communities, but are highly influential in broader public conversations about healing, democracy, human land and water rights, and much more. They are cross-cultural bridgers, whose stories have shaped the course of history and will continue for generations to come. Join us to hear from some of the most inspirational Wisdom Keepers we know. Featuring Jeannette Armstrong, Casey Camp-Horinek, Oren Lyons, and Marlowe Sam. Moderated by Alexis Bunten.
Berkeley Ballroom, Residence Inn
March 29th | 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm
Panelists
Casey Camp-Horinek
Environmental Ambassador, Elder and Hereditary Drumkeeper
Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma
Casey Camp-Horinek, a member of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma, is a longtime activist, environmentalist, actress, and author. Her work has led to the Ponca Nation being the first tribe in Oklahoma to adopt a Rights of Nature statute and to pass a moratorium on fracking on its territory. Casey, who was instrumental in the drafting of the first International Indigenous Women’s Treaty protecting the Rights of Nature, works with Indigenous and other leaders and organizations globally and sits on the boards of WECAN, Movement Rights, and the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.
Oren Lyons
Member Chief
Onondaga Council of Chiefs and the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy
Oren Lyons, a Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan who serves as a Member Chief of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs and the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy (i.e. the Haudenosaunee peoples), is an accomplished artist, social and environmental activist, and author; a Professor Emeritus at SUNY Buffalo; a leading voice at the UN Permanent Forum on Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples; and the recipient of many prestigious national and international prizes including The UN NGO World Peace Prize. Oren also serves on the boards of several major nonprofit organizations and social enterprises; is founder and Principal of One Bowl Productions, a purpose driven film and TV production company; and is an All-American Lacrosse Hall of Famer and Honorary Chairman of the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team.
Jeannette Armstrong
Co-Founder
Enowkin Centre
Jeannette Armstrong, Ph.D. (lax̌lax̌tkʷ) from the Penticton Indian Band, a fluent speaker and knowledge keeper of Syilx Okanagan and its oral histories, is an Associate Professor and the Coordinator of Interior Salishan Languages programs at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She collaborates with other Salish-speaking groups to re-establish Indigenous languages and historical relationships through food harvesting ceremonies, gatherings, and the protection of water and land practices. A recipient of the Eco Trust USA Buffett Award in Indigenous Leadership, Jeannette serves on the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge Subcommittee of Canada’s Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife and is a lifetime Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an officer of the Order of Canada.
Marlowe Sam
Adjunct Professor in Indigenous Studies
UBC Okanagan
Marlowe Sam (sc̓waʔnytəm), Ph.D., a Wenatchi/Lakes descendant from the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington State (CCT), is an adjunct professor in Indigenous Studies at UBC Okanagan, a lecturer in the En’owkin Center/Selkirk College Syilx Studies Program, and an expert on Indigenous water rights in Canada as well as in traditional Syilx governance. He is also a traditional harvester and hunter who mentors his grandchildren, seeking to pass on Syilx ways on the land.
Alexis Bunten
