A Sense of Place: Embracing First Nations Peoples

On November 15th, we are commemorating Native American Heritage Month with a virtual event to sharpen public knowledge of First Nations cultures and to increase public understanding of both the historical legacies and contemporary experiences of Native American peoples. In this interactive community discussion, participants will explore a range of topics related to Native Americans today, including their preferred terms to describe themselves, perspectives about autumn holidays associated with Native Americans, the purpose and value of increasingly popular land acknowledgment statements, ongoing efforts to advance the rights of indigenous peoples, and more. In order to contextualize our present day in the continuum of American colonial history, John Johnson, Director of the Calvert County Historical Society will share brief information about the Piscataway-Conoy Nation, which inhabits the Chesapeake region and constitutes one of over 574 federally recognized First Nations groups in the United States of America. Participants will cultivate and nourish their relationships to First Nations peoples with an emphasis on community empowerment, cultural appreciation, and social cohesion.