In 2018, the Akron City Council adopted a resolution declaring the first Monday of October as a day to honor Indigeneity. The initiative was prompted by students at The Lippman School of Akron, which has a longstanding exchange relationship with the Northern Cheyenne Nation of Montana. The celebration was extended the next year to include all of Summit County and has since grown into several free events leading up to and following the official date.
These events are organized by the Portage Path Collaborative, comprised of The Summit County Historical Society, The Lippman School, Summit Metro Parks, Akron Public Schools, the Akron-Summit County Public Library, Akron Art Museum, and the Institute for Human Science & Culture at The University of Akron. Two individuals, La Donna Blue Eye, a member of the Choctaw Nation and Akron artist Chuck Ayers are also members of the group. Yearly NAFPD events at the Institute include:
- a featured contemporary arts exhibition
- an annual Fall lecture
- behind-the-scenes tours highlighting materials from the Oak Collection that are not currently on display
- a Teach-In, where local middle school students can learn about Indigenous art, culture, lifestyles, and history from Indigenous artists, knowledge keepers, storytellers, and other experts. The Teach-In has been held for over a decade at various Akron Public Schools with the support of The Lippman School and was moved to the Institute in 2023.
Featured Contemporary Artist: Peter B. Jones
New exhibit opens September 29, 2023. An opening reception will be held on Friday, September 29 from 4pm-7pm.
Peter B. Jones is a renowned potter and sculptor who resides on the Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians. He has been instrumental in reviving historical Hodinöhsö:ni’ (Haudenosaunee) styles and techniques of pottery making, while also developing a body of figurative pottery that highlights and reflects the issues that have impacted the Haudenosaunee communities, past and present. His newest exhibit, O-bit-u-ary focuses on the 5800 Native women have been found murdered or are missing across the United States and Canada, bringing this horrific reality to the forefront of public awareness.
Learn more: https://www.uakron.edu/ihsc/education/nafpd AND https://walkportagepath.com/walk-2023
