Talks@EHC Native Illinois History and Contemporary Issues

Talks@EHC Native Illinois History and Contemporary Issues

with Dr. Dorene Wiese

Wednesday, September 16, 6:30pm

Free & Open to all. Scroll down to RSVP

In-person event
At the Evanston History Center
225 Greenwood Evanston, IL

While Native people have lived for over 10,000 years, their continuing contributions are often invisible. This presentation explores the deep history of Native American communities in Illinois and how these histories connect to the lived experiences of Native people today. Dr. Dorene Wiese, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe–White Earth, will guide audiences through the historical foundations of tribal nations such as the Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Ottawa, as well as how urban Native communities developed in Chicago in the 20th century. Through storytelling, music, dance, and art, Wiese will highlight how history is alive, how Native contributions continue today, and why cultural respect matters – reinforcing the importance of building both bridges and dialogue together. As we reflect on our nation’s 250th anniversary, this presentation invites us to explore ideas of who has been included and who has been left out of the nation’s promise, as well as how people from all backgrounds have shaped and reshaped what it means to be part of “the people.”

About Dr. Dorene Wiese

Dr. Dorene Wiese is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe–White Earth and a lifelong educator, leader, and cultural advocate. She holds a doctorate in Leadership and Policy Studies from Northern Illinois University and is the founding president of the American Indian Association of Illinois. Dr. Wiese currently serves as president of NAES College Inc., which was the only urban-based American Indian college in Illinois. A past Newberry Library Fellow, she co-directed the library’s first Oral History project and curated the NAES College library and archives to preserve Native scholarship and voices. She is also the Artistic Director of the Black Hawk Dance and Performance Company, which has shared Native music and dance throughout Illinois for over 20 years. As a retired professor from NAES College and past adjunct at Eastern Illinois University, she has spent her career teaching and mentoring future generations. For more than two decades, Dr. Wiese has lectured across Illinois on Native history, oral traditions, film, media, and cultural policy, building bridges of understanding through scholarship, performance, and community engagement.

Sponsored by the Illinois Humanities Council. 

Through our community’s generosity, we can offer these free programs! Please consider donating $10 to support our ongoing free public programming.

Please click the blue “Going” button below to RSVP. A confirmation email will be sent to the email you registered with.

If you don’t receive a confirmation email, please email Erin Hughes at ehughes@evanstonhistorycenter.org.