Native American perspectives on current social and environmental issues in the Americas and beyond.
Time: 5 December 2016, 19.30
Location: C3 – Bibliothek für Entwicklungspolitik, Alois Wagner-Saal, Sensengasse 3, 1090 Wien.
The entrance is free, but please register here: https://www.pfz.at/article1864.htm
The reading will be held in English without translation.
On 5 December 2016, the Paulo Freire Center and “Arbeitskreis Indianer Nordamerikas (AKIN)” are hosting a reading with Lance Henson, member of the Cheyenne Nation of Oklahoma (US) and political activist and poet.
Born and raised in a so-called “Indian reservation land” within the context of cultural and social oppression of Native Americans, he soon developed ways of resistance against the exploitative domination of the Euro-American Society. Besides becoming a political activist as member of the “Cheyenne Dog Soldier Society” and of the “Working Group of Indigenous Populations” in Geneva, Henson graduated in creative writing and became an adjunct professor for the “Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribal College” in Oklahoma.
Through his poetry, his “reading of the world” in Freireian thinking, Henson puts his Cheyenne heritage and modern life realities into words, incorporating words from Cheyenne language and philosophy and Henson’s own social and political commentary on the status of indigenous peoples, their historic oppression and modern threats to their cultures and environment.
With a style similar to traditional Cheyenne songs, imagery of nature and the seasons features are prominently in Henson’s works. Henson describes his latest work “Songs of Two Worlds” as a “dialogue of words, sounds and images about indigenous people in the contemporary world”.
The river sings […]
It carries the grief of all who suffer for it […]
It flows for the ones who have no voice […]
Healing the broken shadows of man […]
[Extracts of “the river sings”, Lance Henson, November 25, 2016 on https://songsoftwoworlds.wordpress.com/]
The Paulo Freire Center and AKIN would like to invite you to an evening of poetic resistance, accentuated through Henson’s poems as well as reflections and actions of current social and environmental issues in the Americas and beyond (for example the “Dakota Access Pipeline” and “Standing Rock Movement”).
In Memory of Cherokee-poet and political activist Mike Austin, a close friend of Henson’s during his lifetime and a fellow commuter across borders and mediator of worlds, Austin’s booklet “An Indian Perspective” will also be honoured and will be available at the venue.
A cooperation between the Paulo Freire Center and “Arbeitskreis Indianer Nordamerikas (AKIN)”.
The entrance is free, please register here: https://www.pfz.at/article1864.htm
Further links:
Arbeitskreis Indianer Nordamerikas (AKIN):
https://www.wuk.at/event/id/14812
https://arbeitskreisindianer.wordpress.com/wer-wir-sind/
Blog of Lance Henson: https://songsoftwoworlds.wordpress.com
– In memoriam Mike Austin (1953-2006): https://poemie.jimdo.com/presse/in-memoriam-mike-austin-1953-2006/
– Lesung der Poesie von Mike Austin am Sa., 03. Dez. 2016: Flyer Buchpräsentation und Lesung.pdf (356.56 KB)
The Booklet „An Indian Perspective“ by Mike Austin will be available at the venue.
Originalausgabe, November 2016
© Aktionsgruppe Indianer & Menschenrechte e.V., München
© poems/gedichte: Mike Austin
© 1987 Butch Tsate Kongia Bosin Jr.
© 1992 Patricia B. Twins
ISBN 978-3-9806931-5-8
– The Guardian-Artikel über die „Dakota Access Pipeline„: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/29/dakota-access-pipeline-native-american-protesters
Fotos: Lance Henson; Blog Lance Henson; Booklet „An Indian Perspective“ by Mike Austin.
