Submitted by The Evergreen State College
In honor of both Indigenous Peoples and Coming Out day, The Evergreen State College is presenting Paulette Jordan, who will be addressing The Evergreen State College community Wednesday, October 13, 2021.
“Indigenous Peoples Day is a relatively new kind of holiday where we honor Native peoples and Tribes that are among us,” explained Kara Briggs, vice president of Tribal Relations, Arts and Culture. “In the last decade, this holiday has sprung from the grassroots as Native peoples have wanted to shift the narrative of our society to include honoring Native peoples. So much of this season is about stereotypes of Native peoples from Halloween costumes to Thanksgiving mythology. Indigenous Peoples Day is a time to connect with the Native peoples and Tribes that are part of our community, here at The Evergreen State College, which is built on the ceded lands of the Squaxin Island and Puyallup Tribes.”
Evergreen combines Indigenous Peoples Day with Coming Out Day, to honor LGBTQ+ people, who are integral to our families and communities.
“Indigenous Peoples Day honors the Tribes and Native peoples who have governed continuously on these lands and waters, contributing their intellectual and artistic achievements to our collective good,” said Briggs. “Paulette Jordan exemplifies the inspirational and principled leadership that is integral to Native life.”
The conversation with Paulette Jordan will take place via Zoom from 6-7 p.m. and be moderated by Briggs and Therese Saliba, vice president of Inclusive Excellence and Student Success.
Jordan is a proud member of the Coeur d’ Alene Tribe, she is recognized in Idaho and across the nation as an inspirational and influential leader. As an indigenous woman who stems from a long line of hereditary chiefs, she was raised to fight for the needs of her community and to protect the earth’s priceless natural resources.
In 2008, Jordan became the youngest person elected to the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council. In 2014, she unseated an incumbent Republican to represent her home district in the Idaho House of Representatives, where she served as Chair of the Energy, Natural Resources and Transportation Committee for the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators.
A barrier breaker, she also ran for governor of Idaho (2018), then for US Senate (2020), and is the first Native American woman to be nominated for Governor and the US Senate by a major party in US history.
Those who are interested in listening to Jordan can attend via Zoom, 6-7 p.m., Wednesday October 13. For more information about this event, please email inclusiveexcellence@evergreen.edu.
