Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration

Mon, October 14, 2019

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT

Bunting Meyerhoff Interfaith and Community Service Center

3509 N Charles St

Baltimore, MD 21218

The Office of Multicultural Affairs and its affinity group organizations are approaching each heritage celebration (Black, LatinX, Asian-Pacific, & Indigenous) with a new approach to extend beyond the national monthly acknowledgements. We will continue to recognize and celebrate each designated month with key signature events and throughout the year provide intersecting conversations around these identities that allow our students to explore their cultural heritage with intent and purpose. The “Heritage 365” campaign speaks to this new initiative that promotes a philosophy of inclusion, education, and overall community engagement with our student body.

Indigenous Peoples Day reimagines and provides a counter-narrative to Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical truths about the oppression of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate indigenous resistance. The charge to change the national holiday began in the 1990’s with Berkeley, California and South Dakota. With the introduction of the Indigenous Students at Hopkins, the Office of Multicultural Affairs began the process of providing thought provoking programming and events to enhance the recognition of Indigenous communities and our own student population. Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day is a new tradition at Hopkins that extends the efforts of promoting/celebrating a vital population in our community.

The celebration and observance will convene on Monday, October 14th with a Noon-Day Pow Wow at Keyser Quad (Rain Location: Levering Hall) from 12:00pm-1:45pm, in which, the program will have key featured intertribal dances. The evening lecture at Interfaith Center from 6:00pm-8:00pm will open with an intertribal performance.

Keynote Speaker Bio:

Dr. Dennis E. Seymour will serve as our keynote speaker. Dr. Seymour is a former Dean Emeritus of the CCBC School of Business, Criminal Justice and Law. He has a PhD in Criminal Justice from Southwest University, two bachelors from University of Maryland, and a Masters from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Seymour was employed by the Maryland State Police as a trooper, instructor, and organized crime investigator from June 1965 to June 1981. Dr. Seymour was an adjunct professor for CCBC from 1977 to 1994 teaching criminal investigation, criminal law, constitutional law, etc. and from 1984-2002 he also had his own private investigate firm for individual and corporate clients. Dr. Seymour has served on many advisory committees and boards including Academic Deans Senate, Senate Academic Standards Committee, BCPS Home Land Security, Paralegal Studies and Pre-Law Advisory Board, Criminal Justice Advisory Board, Information Technology Council, Committee for Emerging and Recyclable Technology, Dundalk Building Naming Committee, Native American Studies Advisory Board, Maryland Commission for Indian Affairs Advisory Board, Mansion Reservation Committee, CCBC College Senate and CCBC Catonsville Foundation Board.