2:30–4:00 p.m.
Join Rachel Cushman (enrolled citizen of the Chinook Indian Nation) for a works-in-progress presentation of her dissertation project's history, methodology, and current state.
After more than a century of struggle, the Chinook Indian Nation achieved a moment of justice in the form of federal recognition at the close of the Clinton Administration in 2001. The triumph was short-lived. Just eighteen months later, the celebration turned into heartbreak as the Bush Administration, under the influence of another tribe, rescinded our hard-earned acknowledgment. Betrayal by the federal government not only upended my nation's future but also disrupted generations of resistance efforts. The loss of federal recognition encapsulates the Chinook’s enduring struggle with the United States government. This dissertation delves into structures, processes, and critical moments in the Chinook Indian Nation’s determination for justice. What signifies justice has changed over time and generations due to the shifting and permeating nature of settler colonialism; however, the protection of our sovereign authority over our people and place of origin, as well as our Indigenous rights, have been centered. Throughout this decolonial justice journey, we have continued to center and preserve the well-being of the Chinook people, the other-than-human world, and our epistemologies. To illustrate this, I will employ a multimedia mixed-method approach, drawing from historical and contemporary voices within the Chinook Justice Movement. This survivance narrative not only adds to but also reshapes our comprehension of coloniality and Indigenous resistance, making a unique and significant contribution to the fields of Native American and Indigenous Studies, Settler Colonial Studies, Political Science, and others.
Native American and Indigenous Studies Calendar
The Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies events calendar is regularly updated.
Indigenous Peoples Day
The origins of Indigenous Peoples Day date back to 1989 when the South Dakota legislature passed legislation changing the second Monday in October from Columbus Day to Native American Day, celebrating the day for the first time in 1990. The state of Oregon voted to recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in a new bill passed in 2021 by the Oregon Legislature. University of Oregon holds a tribal flag raising ceremony in the EMU Amphitheater each October.
Native American Heritage Month
Film, lectures, workshops, theater, colloquiums, panels, and gatherings happen across campus and the community throughout November.
UO Native American Student Union
NASU meets regularly at the Longhouse and holds events, speakers, and meals.
Native American and Indigenous Studies
This College of Arts and Sciences department hosts speakers, films, colloquiums, and other events.
Mother's Day Powwow
This annual event takes place over Mother's Day weekend in May on campus. 2018 marked the 50th year and the powwow was honored with an Oregon Heritage Tradition designation from Oregon State Parks.
Native American Strategies Group
This group is a volunteer coalition of faculty, staff, administrators, students, alumni, and community members who meet to communicate, plan, and facilitate a holistic vision of scholarship and service for Native students and Native American and Indigenous studies on campus. They meet on the first Friday of the month, noon-1:30 p.m. in the Longhouse.
Native American Law Student Association
NALSA holds occasional events.
Events subject to change.