Fall Social Justice Series: Abigail Eiler

We Are Destined for Greatness: The History and Resiliency of North American Indian People

Presented by: Abigail Eiler, SSW LEO Lecturer

North American Indian (NAI) people are original proprietors to exist on the land we currently refer to as The University of Michigan. As we enter National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the six tribes that offered this land as a gift for education purposes. This Social Justice Series, "We Are Destined for Greatness: The History and Resiliency of North American Indian People," offers an opportunity for social workers and supporters to better understand tribal and urban Indian communities.

Some of the most common news headlines that we read about or see today depict Native American people in a derogatory or mythological fashion. We hear about the outcomes of national sporting events for the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Florida Seminoles and many more. NAI people have also been represented as violent and uneducated protesters, "impeding progress" for the Dakota and Mackinac Straits (Line 5) oil pipelines. As the creators of peacemaking principles, the representation of NAI people that we see today is an injustice and misrepresentation of urban Indian communities and tribal citizens across North America. Come join presenters, Abigail Eiler, LMSW (Niigaanii gimaakwe) and Rachel Burrage, MSW, PhD Candidate as they discuss:

• Traditional gender relations and (variety of) traditional parenting styles
• Domestic violence, residential schools as disruption of traditional family values
• Current efforts to promote traditional gender roles, parenting, promote resilience among NAI families

Lunch will be provided.

RSVP here »