Activist, economist, and novelist Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe) discusses her work with Native Americans throughout the country on the preservation of land, natural resources, and culture. Her talk is followed by a screening of Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action (2005, 88 minutes), which documents successful grassroots efforts in the face of such crises as toxic waste dumping, strip mining, oil drilling, and nuclear contamination. After the screening, LaDuke leads a roundtable discussion with guests Barry Dana, former chief of the Penobscot Nation of Maine, and Gail Small (Northern Cheyenne) of Montana, who are both featured in the film. At 6 pm, there is a reception and a signing of LaDuke’s latest book, Recovering the Sacred: The Power of Naming and Claiming. Jose E. Barreiro (Taino), assistant director for research at the National Museum of the American Indian, delivers the event’s opening remarks. This is the second feature event in the Smithsonian Heritage Month series “Sharing Stories, Sharing Heritage,” which explores the intersection of culture and oral tradition among communities.

Sponsors: National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian American Indian Employee Network, Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, Smithsonian Heritage Months Steering Committee, and the Katahdin Foundation