ABQ Times

The Institute of American Indian Research (IFAIR) has announced that Nancy Marie Mithlo, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker for the 3rd annual Luci Tapahonso Distinguished Indigenous Speakers Series. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Hodgin Hall’s Bobo Room at The University of New Mexico. It is free and open to the public.

Mithlo, a professor at UCLA in the Departments of Gender Studies and American Indian Studies and Curator-in-Residence at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), will present a talk titled “Dear America: The Trials and Errors of Native Art’s Diplomacy." Her presentation will explore the politics surrounding memory institutions such as museums, archives, film, and fine arts while examining how American Indian and Indigenous arts are socially produced and circulated.

"Mithlo’s work challenges the often biased and narrow interpretations of American Indian cultures," offering a perspective that seeks to enhance understanding of Indigenous representation and identity.

The Luci Tapahonso Distinguished Speaker Series is an annual event honoring Diné author and poet Luci Tapahonso. Over her career spanning more than two decades, Tapahonso has published five books of poetry along with three children's books. She began her literary journey in the English Department at The University of New Mexico as both a student and later as faculty.

This series aims to "celebrate and elevate Indigenous voices by inviting prominent speakers who engage with themes related to Indigenous cultures, languages, intellectual traditions, and social issues."

Overall, it serves not only to honor Tapahonso's contributions but also provides a platform for discussing contemporary issues affecting Indigenous communities.