On campus
2022
Thursday, Oct. 6: Student trip to Burke Museum
Students are invited to explore the Burke Museum and reflect on their sense of place while learning about Indigenous culture. Sponsored by the John Perkins Center Learn & Serve.
Monday, Oct 10: Public lecture with Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley
Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley, a recognized leader in the fields of Indigenous and Intercultural Studies, ecology, spirituality, race, theology, and missiology, will present a public lecture titled “Indigenous Spirit: Weaving Justice and Peace in a Wounded Land," at 7 p.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons. Sponsored by the School of Theology and the SPU Land Acknowledgement Committee.
Tuesday, Oct. 11: Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley in Chapel
Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley will be the guest speaker in Chapel at 11:10 a.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons. Dr. Woodley is professor of faith and culture at George Fox University/Portland Seminary. Sponsored by University Ministries.
Wednesday, Oct. 12: Exploring Indigenous Literature
Join a discussion with April Middeljans, assistant professor of English, and Ben Hartley, associate professor of mission and world Christianity, on creating spaces for Indigenous voice in their teaching and scholarship. The event will begin at 12 p.m. in the Reading Room on first floor of the library. Sponsored by the Ames Library.
Thursday, Oct. 13: Student debrief on Burke Museum Trip
Students will share their reflections on their recent trip to the museum, and learn about other Perkins Center Learn & Serve opportunities.
Friday, Oct. 14: "Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World"
Join Christopher Hanson, assistant professor of music, for a screening of this documentary on the profound impact of Indigenous culture on both hard rock and heavy metal music of the late 20th century. This event will be held in Demaray Hall 150, 6–9 p.m.
2021
On Tuesday, April 26, 2021, the John Perkins Center and the Christian Community Development Association Pacific Northwest Regional Network partnered to host a conference on the SPU campus. Oglala Lakota Lenore Three Stars delivered the evening plenary, where she reflected on a theology of place from an indigenous worldview.
Chapel
The weekly chapel on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, was led by Mending Wings, a Native American youth program located on the Yakama Nation that worships God through Native song and dance. Chapel was held at 11:10 a.m. in Upper Gwinn Commons.
Music
On Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, a short concert featuring music composed by Native American artists and performed by soloists from the SPU Music Department was held at 12 p.m. in Tiffany Loop.
In 2019, the SPU Orchestra performed "Chokfi', Sarcasm for String Orchestra and Percussion" by American Indian composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate. The orchestra is directed by Christopher T.F. Hanson, SPU assistant professor of music and director of music education and orchestral activities. Watch the video.
Library
During October 2021, the Ames Library’s Reading Room on the main level featured a special display of the substantive work of SPU Professor Emeritus of Anthropology Ken Tollefson, who devoted much of his life and research to serving indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and mentoring colleagues and students.
Campus story pole
The 25-foot cedar pole, commissioned by SPU’s Class of 1971, was designed and carved by Tlingit tribal member Abner Johnson in the early 1970s. Johnson spent several years working on the pole in SPU’s Art Center lobby, where the campus community and the public could watch him carve. Each figure on the pole has a symbolic meaning tied to Seattle Pacific. A falcon, the mascot of SPU, graces the top of the pole. The story pole is located behind SPU's oldest building, Alexander and Adelaide Hall.
In the classroom
Seattle Pacific offers many courses across various disciplines that incorporate the history, culture, language, or current news around native peoples. Here are offered courses currently.
ANT 2250: CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Focuses upon the comparative study of human cultures: technological, economical, social, political, and religious systems, with examples drawn from selected cultures of the world. Examples from indigenous cultures are used to illustrate particular cultural practices or the impact of particular social process like colonization.
COM 4180: CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS
This course explores how to productively and sensitively interact with people from cultures that differ from our own. We explore the dimensions across which cultures vary through a variety of in-class activities, lectures, films, and stories. Students will gain an understanding of cultural differences around the world and will gain some skills to communicate competently in a variety of cultural settings. Included are some readings and class discussions about the Western Apache people of Cibecue, AZ.
LIN 2100: FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE STUDY
Develops conceptual tools for understanding the nature and the processes of language: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Personal and professional attitudes toward the world of language are reexamined. Note: A considerable amount of class time is devoted to preservation and documentation of indigenous languages.
Linguistic Capstone LIN 4899 in the past few years saw a number of research projects about indigenous languages. LIN 4145 Phonology, LIN 4145 Morphology, LIN 4200 Second Language Acquisition, and LIN 4430 Sociolinguistic all have a strong research component.
In LCL, I offer Topics in Francophone Literature which addresses indigenous cultures in North America (specifically in Quebec and Nova Scotia) and in the Caribbean (specifically the French départments of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana). We also discuss indigenous populations in the Francophone Pacific (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and Vanuatu) where--as in the US Marshall Islands, the indigenous populations have suffered greatly from colonization and policies related to nuclear testing in the region.
Topics in Latin American cultures addresses questions of interactions between indigenous groups and Spanish and Portuguese colonizers while several Linguistics courses address the efforts to preserve Indigenous languages in our region specifically and in North America as a whole. (I can send you the names of the specific courses once I double check with the Linguistics folks.)
MUS 1200: CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MUSIC
How are artists using music to shape society and how is society influencing what we are listening to? This course will explore how music — listening, creating, performing — is a lens for discovering and interpreting our own culture and those around us. Topics of discussion to include (but not limited to) race, gender, mental health, class and socio-economics, human trafficking, immigration, violence/war, politics, and technology.
SOC 3650: BORDER CROSSINGS: IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES & DREAMERS
This course considers the implications of immigration policies in the U.S. and other western nations. Students learn to understand migratory streams in historical perspective and think about international migration as the product of various social forces. We attempt to understand why countries enact the immigration policies that they do, and how these policies shape the experiences of immigrant groups before and after reaching their destination. Key modules: migrants in transit, refugees & asylum seekers, cultural assimilations, gender and race in immigration policies, etc. This course also addresses the controversies and conversations around “citizenship” and the rights of Native American groups and Canada’s First Nations.
SOC/HIS 3750: LATIN AMERICA
Traces the history of Latin America with particular attention to the development of political, economic, social, and religious institutions. (Discuss in more detail the impact of colonization on the indigenous peoples of Latin America – though not directly on their experiences in what became the U.S. Though in passing, I will mention some similarities/differences.)
WST 2350: INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN’S STUDIES
This course provides an introductory survey to the interdisciplinary field of Women’s Studies, examining the social, cultural, political, economic, and religious constructions of power and privilege that intersect to shape women’s lives. Includes a brief look at the American Indian Movement (AIM) of the 1970s and the WARN (Women of All Red Nations) movement that came out of it for second wave feminism, and then we look at current Indigenous Feminisms.
EDU 3205: ELEMENTARY GENERAL METHODS I
Integrates professional interactions, observations and structured experiences in P–12 classroom focused on daily planning for effective instruction, including lesson planning, assessment of learning and student engagement within a safe and orderly learning environment. Students will consider factors associated with planning for the start of school and managing the physical, behavioral and emotional environment of the classroom.
EDU 4400: SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS
Provides a basic introduction to Social Studies Methods for elementary teachers. The development of research and experience based principles of effective practice for encouraging the intellectual, social and personal development of students are encourages. This will be carried out through a focus on a variety of instructional tools.
EDU 4899: TEACHER AS PERSON – CAPSTONE
A capstone experience focused on building the habits of professional practice including reflection and analysis of growth as emerging professionals in comparison to internship experiences, coursework, and program assessments. Students deepen their understanding of their role as teacher leaders as they participate in state and national education initiatives and issues. Students engage in employment related activities such as resume writing, interviewing, and the application process.
EDU 6133: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN EDUCATION
Considers diversity, equity, and inclusion by exploring essential questions such as how these terms may be defined, how these concepts have been viewed across time, how families and children experience them in schools, and what the implications are for teaching and learning. Considers the ways educators promote inclusiveness and improve achievement through equity pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching.
EDU 6139: INTERNSHIP SEMINAR/EDSP 6658: ISSUES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
A capstone experience that provides students with an opportunity to analyze their growth as emerging professionals in comparison to internship experiences, coursework, and program assessments. Students also interpret their roles as teacher leaders as they participate in state and national education initiatives. Employment related activities such as resume writing, interviewing, and applying are also covered.
EDU 6363: LANGUAGE ARTS/SOCIAL STUDIES/HUMANITIES INTEGRATED METHODS – ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL
Presents integrated methods for elementary and middle-level instruction in language arts, social studies, and humanities. Includes knowledge and skills for learning across disciplines, such as reading, writing, research, discourse, and reflective thinking. Covers learning theories and practical application of human development on integrated planning, instruction, and assessment.
EDU 6364: TEACHING SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES
Organizes content around principles of effective social studies teaching and learning, such as construction of knowledge, connection between disciplines, development of reasoned judgment, and use of critical inquiry. Specific knowledge and skills include identifying features of effective curricula, designing units and lessons, and application of instructional practices like discourse, literacy integration, and cooperative learning.
EDAD 6589: ENGAGING COMMUNITIES
This course is designed to prepare school leaders in the inclusive practice of collaboration with all stakeholders. It is intended that individuals taking this course will have the knowledge, skills, and cultural competence to improve learning and achievement to ensure the success of each student by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
EDU 6918: INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING
Serves as introduction to the program and general orientation to teaching. Surveys organization and funding of schools, education policy and reform, requirements for certification, and program assessments, among other topics. Emphasis given to exploring cultural competence and analyzing characteristics of effective teachers.
PSY 3485: CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
This course examines the role of culture in human development through current research and examples from around the world. Learn about similarities and cultural differences in human development, and the regularities that explain these variations. Topics include the concept of culture in developmental psychology, diversity in child rearing practices, cultural learning and schooling, development in multicultural contexts, and the influence of technology and social change on development. Students learn to think culturally about their own development and how to apply this knowledge to inform their faith and their future careers in a globalized, multicultural society. Many examples are spread throughout the course that illustrate the course concepts that come from indigenous groups in the Americas.
These two courses include sections on the Christian witness of native peoples:
THEO 6050: GLOBAL CHRISTIAN HERITAGE II: AD 1454-1900
Explores the history of Christianity from the late medieval roots of the Reformation through the 19th century. With particular attention to primary sources, the course introduces students to the thought, institutions, missionary endeavors, and modes of piety that marked Christianity, in its various contexts, during that period.
THEO 6080: GLOBAL CHRISTIAN HERITAGE III: AD 1900-PRESENT
Explores the history of Christianity from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. With particular attention to primary sources, the course introduces students to the thought, institutions, missionary endeavors, and modes of piety that marked Christianity, in its various contexts, during that period.
In Seattle
A list of local museums, culture centers, and events to learn more.
Daybreak Star Indian Culture Center
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center is a land base and community center for Native Americans in the Seattle area, and United Indians’ headquarters. It is located on 20 acres in Discovery Park in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood and about four miles from campus.
Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
The headquarters and home of Seattle's Duwamish Tribe, Point Elliott Treaty Tribe Indigenous People of Puget Sound and Duwamish River Valley. The center is located in the Delridge neighborhood, southwest of downtown Seattle. The center serves as a tribal headquarters, education center, and meeting and ceremonial place. It’s free and open to the public five days a week, Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
The Burke is the official state museum of Washington and contains more than 16 million artifacts and specimens in its anthropology, biology, and geology research divisions. The Burke is located on the campus of the University of Washington, about four miles from campus. The museum relies on its Native American Advisory Board (NAAB) for guidance on policy, programming, and advocacy. Members of the NAAB represent tribes from Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
During the year
Indigenous Peoples Day
The City of Seattle designated the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day. Several events are held throughout the city.
Summer
Tribal Canoe Journey
The event takes place each summer in the waters of the Salish Sea (from Puget Sound to the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia) and allows different nations to learn from one another and revitalize their native cultures. Local Native American tribes and nations take turns hosting the event. The 2021 journey was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Seafair Indian Days Powwow
Part of Seattle annual communitywide Seafair Festival, this three-day event showcases traditional Indian cooking, jewelry-making, music, and dancing from tribes in the United States and Canada. The 2021 powwow was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.