IAIA RCCNA Director Mary Deleary, PhD. Photograph by Christine Adams (Tlingit [Alaska Native]), Institute of American Indian Arts.

The IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts (RCCNA) Fall Symposium: Stewarding Stories, Sovereignty, and Spaces: Indigenous Research and Creativity in Action brings together scholars, students, and artists to explore the intersections of research, archives, collections, and contemporary Indigenous arts. This symposium highlights the pivotal role of story stewardship, tribal sovereignty, and creative practice in shaping Indigenous futures. Join us for a day of thought-provoking dialogue, artistic insights, and collaborative visioning. Lunch is served at noon, and presentations will take place from 1–5 pm in the CLE Commons. Dinner will be provided in the Bon Appetit Café. The film Sugarcane will be shown from 6–9 pm in the IAIA Auditorium, with refreshments and a Q&A with special guests.

Presentations will feature a keynote by Dr. Blue Tarpalechee (Muscogee [Creek] Nation) and updates from RCCNA staff, fellows, and interns, artists. The event will also include a special film screening of Sugarcane, an award-winning documentary by filmmakers Julian Brave Noisecat (Secwepemc Canim Lake Band) and Emily Kassie. The Hollywood Reporter called Sugarcane “a gut-punch of a documentary” that reveals a community’s story during a global reckoning. In 2021, unmarked graves were found at a Catholic-run Indian residential school in Canada, exposing the abuse and forced assimilation Indigenous children endured. This discovery sparked national outrage over the system that harmed Indigenous communities. The film won several awards, including the Sundance 2024 Directing Award for U.S. Documentary. Kindly note that this film discusses the traumatic experiences of Indigenous children in residential schools. If you are a survivor of residential schools or may be triggered by such content, please be aware and consider seeking support before viewing.

Schedule

Presentations (1–5 pm):
– Tazbah Gaussoin (Picuris Pueblo and Diné) ‘15
– Amber Morning Star Byars (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) ‘18
– April Holder (Sac and Fox)
– Laney Cully (Cherokee)
– Christine Adams (Tlingit [Alaska Native])
– Heidi Brandow (Diné and Kānaka Maoli) ‘13
– Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer (Hopi and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)
– Ryan Flahive
– Maia Filippi

Keynote Presentation:
Research is Reclamation: The Role of Archives and Collections in Tribal Sovereignty
– Dr. Blue Tarpalechee (Muscogee [Creek] Nation)

Sugarcane Screening and Discussion (6–9 pm):
Opening:
– Laura Fragua-Cota (Jemez Pueblo)

Discussion to follow with:
– Amber Morning Star Byars (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) ‘18 – Impact Producer for SUGARCANE
– Dr. Joannie Suina (Pueblo de Cochiti) – Communications Director, National Native American Boarding School Coalition
– Stephen Wall (White Earth Nation) – Faculty Emeritus, Indigenous Liberal Studies

Free and open to the public. For questions, please contact the IAIA RCCNA Director Mary Deleary, PhD at mdeleary@iaia.edu.