Kish College to host events celebrating Native American Heritage Month

Kishwaukee College will celebrate Native American Heritage Month by hosting several different cultural events through November. Celebrated nationally, Native American Heritage Month pays tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. The events at Kish are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Nov. 17 — Prime Time with Smoke Signals — The Intercultural Center will discuss the 1998 film “Smoke Signals” along with a discussion. Bear Wolf, Lead Professional Tutor for Writing and Communications at Kishwaukee College, will lead the discussion on North American Indigenous symbolism and philosophies. The screening and discussion will take place from 12-1:30 pm in the Student Lounge.

Monday, Nov. 29 — Native American Voices through Poetry — To conclude Native American Heritage Month, the Intercultural Center will host three Native American voices for a poetry reading and discussion. The event will take place from 1-2:30 pm in C1121 and virtually via Zoom.

• Mr. Tezezomoc is a Los Angeles Chicano poet, musician and farmer. He is a member of the Acequia Institute — a grant-making collective focused on supporting Indigenous knowledge and agroecosystems by protecting native crops. His work to defend a South Central Los Angeles community garden was featured in the 2008 Academy Award-nominated documentary “The Garden.” His publications include “Gashes!: Poems and Pain from the Halls of Injustice” and several other works appearing in journals and anthologies.

• Kyla “Tucaya” Garcia is an Indigenous poet, actor and director who has performed on stages worldwide and is a member of the Native Voices theater company. She is the creator of the solo show “The Mermaid Who Learned How to Fly,” has directed various voice-over projects for Netflix, and recently starred in “The Exchange” on Amazon Prime. Garcia has narrated more than 250 audiobooks and is working with the Every Child Matters campaign to help reconnect unearthed Indigenous children with their rightful families.
• Bear Wolf, Kish’s Lead Professional Tutor for Writing and Communications, is a Shawnee Gypsy Jew social justice humanist who sees tattoos as physical manifestations of emotional scars and lost count of his somewhere around 20. He has been teaching, performing and writing all over America and other parts of the world for more than 30 years.

Kishwaukee College is honored to celebrate Native American Heritage Month by helping share the history, heritage and accomplishments of indigenous people of past and present. Find the Zoom links for each event at www.kish.edu/diversity. For more information on the Native American Heritage Month events at Kish, email interculturalcenter@kish.edu.