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Settler-Colonist Ties to Thanksgiving & Columbus: Taking Back the Narrative

Missing information, inaccurate stories, and stereotypes perpetuate myths about Columbus and Thanksgiving. When we can't describe an accurate First Nations perspective, it's often because we have grown up in a system that has made hard truths invisible. In this presentation, we will explore this colonial system through primary sources and examine how language perpetuates invisibility and how we can dismantle oppression to bring accurate counter-narratives to life.

Claudia A. Fox Tree (she, her) identifies as a multiracial Indigenous woman. She has been a middle school special education teacher for over 35 years. During this time, she has also taught professional development and social justice courses at the college level for Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for all Students (IDEAS) and presented about decolonizing anti-racism initiatives at numerous national and local conferences. Claudia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts (Boston) and a Master’s Degree in Education from Northeastern University in educational research. She is currently a doctoral student at Lesley University. Claudia is also a polymer clay artist, blogger, and mother to five young adults (and four cats).

Since 2000, Claudia has been on the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness (https://www.mcnaa.org/) board. MCNAA’s mission is to preserve Native American cultural traditions; to assist Native American residents with basic needs and educational expenses; to advance public knowledge and understanding, to dispel inaccurate information about Native People, and work towards racial equality by addressing racial issues inequities across the region.

This program is cosponsored by Belmont Against Racism and the public libraries of Belmont, Brookline, Chelmsford, Lincoln, Maynard, Natick, Norwood, Stow, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, and Weston.

Nov 21, 2022 07:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)