(Image courtesy of COCC)
Central Oregon Community College (COCC) is celebrating Native American Heritage Month with a lineup of five engaging events across its campuses in November, including a presentation on the Doctrine of Discovery by former Yakama Nation chairman JoDe Goudy (November 7), a screening of the OPB documentary First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath (November 10) and a Native American dinner celebration hosted by COCC’s First Nations Student Union Club (November 18).
Most events are free.
Goudy’s presentation, part of the “We X Rural Change Project Speaker Series,” runs from 9am-4pm on Saturday, November 7, at the Madras campus. It examines the Doctrine of Discovery, a centuries-old legal and religious framework used to justify colonization, land dispossession and the systematic denial of human rights to Indigenous Peoples. Following the presentation, participants can join community-building circles centered on tribal sovereignty and environmental sustainability. Space is limited to 100 participants. Email leannat2014@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath follows young Indigenous paddlers on a historic journey from the Klamath River’s headwaters to the Pacific. The screening is Tuesday, November 10, at the Tower Theatre in Bend. Doors open at 6pm and the film begins at 7pm, with a Q&A to follow with producer and paddlers. The screening is free, but tickets are required. Visit the Tower Theatre to register: towertheatre.org.
Artist Speakthunder will present on bringing Indigenous art into modern design and concepts, demonstrating his craft with a variety of materials, from 6-7pm on Thursday, November 12, at the Redmond campus in Building 3, Room 309. No registration required.
The COCC First Nations Student Union Club will host a Friendsgiving/Native American dinner celebration from 5-7pm on Wednesday, November 18, in the Coats Campus Center dining hall on the Bend campus. The menu features traditional and contemporary Native foods, including frybread. Cost is $12 for COCC students and $14.25 for community members.
Everlee McCabe and Justine Lowry will lead a hands-on frybread-making class from 5:30-6:30pm on Thursday, November 19, at the Prineville campus. Participants are encouraged to bring an apron and an appetite. The class is free; space is limited to 20. Reserve a spot by emailing jrector@cocc.edu.
For more information on these events, contact Jeremiah Rector, Native American Program coordinator, at 541-318-3782 or jrector@cocc.edu.
Visit the COCC Native American events page at cocc.edu/multicultural for complete details and registration information.
