The Indigenous Nations' Library Program is sponsoring a talk and brown bag lunch and panel discussion at Zimmerman Library on Monday, Feb. 28, 2005. The title of the talk is “Native American Stereotypes & Mascots, Reclaiming Culture." The brown bag lunch from 12 to 1:30 p.m. and will be held in room 102. The panel discussion will be in the Willard Reading Room from 3 to 5 p.m.
Mark Tafoya and Darius Lee Smith are the presenters. They will discuss diversity redefined from an indigenous people’s perspective.
Tafoya is pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Colorado at Denver, School of Education/Educational Leadership and Innovation. He has made it a personal campaign to conduct workshops on diversity and stereotyping. Tafoya emphasizes that he and his culture are not cartoons, myths or dead fables.
Smith is Navajo/African American growing up in a predominately black neighborhood in Denver and spending summers with his maternal grandmother on the Navajo reservation. He developed the curriculum "American Indian Mascots: Hype, Insult or Ignorance" while he was a curriculum development specialist for the Denver Public Schools. He is currently the Director of the Anti-Discrimination Office for the City and County of Denver.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627