Dr. Robert B. Caldwell
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, Daemen University’s Center of Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) will host Robert B. Caldwell, assistant professor of Indigenous Studies at the University at Buffalo, to present his “Mapping Native America” lecture at 5 p.m. this evening in the Research and Information Commons, room 101.
The event is open to the public and food and refreshments will be available. The focus of the lecture will include Native and settler mapping of the indigenous people of Turtle Island, also known as North America. Caldwell will discuss the movement and migration of indigenous peoples throughout history up until today.
“Through this lecture, students will begin to understand how indigenous people have shaped North America and how they have been reshaped by living on reservations,” said Jordan Printup, assistant director of Daemen’s Center of Diversity and Inclusion. “We are living in a highly indigenous area that was originally all Seneca territory. It’s important that we, as a community, understand and pay homage to the indigenous people of our area.”
An enrolled citizen of the Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb Louisiana, Caldwell’s work surrounds native representation, ethnohistorical research, and migration primarily in the southwest.
He earned his PhD in history from the University of Texas at Arlington, and holds two master’s degrees, one in heritage resources and the other in labor studies, as well as a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and history.
“Thirty years ago, there were not many Native people in academia working as professors,” said Printup. “Now, that is starting to change and Dr. Caldwell is a prime example of this. Indigenous people have valuable knowledge to bring to the table that can contribute to the growth and betterment of society.”
Ultimately, the CDI plans to hold this lecture as the first of many in a sustainable series throughout the academic year, said Printup.
To register for the “Mapping Native America” lecture, click here.