Susan Devan Harness, author-in-residence and member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, will present “Racialized: Power Structures in American Indian Transracial Adoption” following a screening of the documentary “Daughter of a Lost Bird” April 9 in Field Hall, Room 4002.
Aimed at fostering dialogue on Indigenous rights, adoption, identity, cultural resilience and the continuing impact of historical trauma, the film is being presented as part of the 2025 WVU Community Human Rights Film Series.
The film screening, hosted by the Native American Studies Program, will begin at 7 p.m.
The screening and presentation are open to the public and refreshments will be provided.
“The film ‘Daughter of a Lost Bird’ and Harness’s personal adoption story speak to the lasting harmful effects of the government’s attempts at forced assimilation and cultural erasure. Before the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, some tribal nations faced the crisis of losing around 30% of their children to adoption by non-Natives,” said Bonnie Brown, coordinator of the Native American Studies Program. “We hope this event creates further understanding of both historical and contemporary issues and fosters greater respect for cultural identities and tribal sovereignty.”
The event will also feature a book signing for Harness’s prize-winning memoir “Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption” and “When We Become Ours,” a young adult anthology that includes her story “Shawl Dance.”
Her residency at WVU will run April 6-12 to enrich academic discourse, encourage cross-cultural awareness and highlight the enduring relevance of Native literature and oral histories in contemporary society.
Throughout the week, Harness will meet with Health Sciences graduate students, as well as with anthropology, English, Native American studies and women’s and gender studies students and faculty.
With her classroom visits, workshops and meetings, she will guide the University community in exploring the complex issues surrounding transracial adoption, cultural identity and intergenerational trauma.
The annual WVU Native American Studies Residence Program brings distinguished leaders, writers and scholars to campus for immersive engagement with students, faculty and the broader community. It is funded by the Carolyn Reyer Visiting Lectureship Fund for Native American Studies.
The annual WVU Community Human Rights Film Series features works that highlight marginalized communities that are pursuing public awareness, justice and policy reform.
The 2025 film screenings are funded by the WVU Community Human Rights Film Fund established by Morgantown residents Don Spencer and the late Carol Howe Hamblen, with support from the WVU LGBTQ+ Center and the Program for Native American Studies.