The Native American Studies Program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences will hold its annual ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 6 at the WVU Peace Tree located between Martin Hall and Elizabeth Moore Hall, and Guest of Honor Kody Grant (Isleta Pueblo/Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) will present “Trading Jackets: Historical Perspectives to Modern Connections” at 5 p.m. in the Mountainlair, Gluck Theatre.
In the event of rain, the ceremony will move indoors to the Mountainlair, Gluck Theatre.
This year’s event marks the 32nd anniversary of the planting of the University’s first Peace Tree by Chief Leon Shenandoah, Tadodaho of the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy.
The Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia will present Neo, a broad-winged hawk, to symbolize the eagle the Peacemaker placed as a sentry at the top of the original tree circa 1000 A.D. Guests will also be invited to add a prayer tie with any good intention they choose to the Peace Tree.
Grant, a seasoned American Indian cultural and historical interpreter whose work focuses on building bridges of understanding and who serves as the inaugural Tribal Liaison for the University of Virginia, will reflect on his work in cultural and museum education and how it has influenced his approach to understanding.
The lecture will relate to the ways American Indian societies have evolved under changing circumstances and how individuals have come to both understand themselves and view their modern communities, which are continuously being reinvigorated.
Grant is welcomed by the Native American Studies Program with support from the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“The WVU Peace Tree ceremony provides an opportunity for the University, the local community and individuals to commit to peacemaking and collective problem solving,” said Bonnie Brown, coordinator of the Native American Studies Program.