Dartmouth will host a symposium exploring the historical relationships between African and Native Americans between April 20 and 22.
Organizers say that the conference will focus on the shared experiences of Native and African Americans since the European colonization of North America. The conference will be titled "Eating Out of the Same Pot: Relating Black and Native Histories" and will be the first academic meeting devoted to the subject.
"Letting people know about this history is really important," event organizer and Thurgood Marshall fellow Tiya Miles said, adding that African and Native Americans can sometimes be a sensitive topic for members of both communities and for scholars.
"Part of what I want this conference to be about is to address that complicated history in a way that can have a real impact on people's lives," Miles said.
Scholars and activists from across the country, as well as members of the Dartmouth community will be speaking at and participating in the wide variety of events planned.
Speakers to be featured include Cornell English professor Robert Warrior, professor of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota David Wilkins, and Theda Perdue, professor of history at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Presentation titles include "Black and Native: Living and Negotiating Multiple Identities," "The Black Power Movement, the American Indian Movement and the FBI" and "A History of Half-Truths: Blacks and Creek Indians in the Southeast."
The first day of the conference will be dedicated to an introduction and a session about researching genealogical histories as well as featuring a community dinner in Shabazz Hall.
On the second day, symposium participants will attend a series of lectures and discussions about the intersections of the themes and methods of African and Native American studies as well as an evening film screening and discussion in the Loew Theater.
The final day of the program will begin with a photography exhibition, entitled "The Red-Black Connection," and continue with moderated discussion on a variety of topics as well as presentations on the political influence of the two communities.
The program is being hosted by the Shabazz African American Center and the Native and African American Studies programs.