Indigenous Voices is a project in partnership with artists and communities in Tennessee that reflects the stories and artistic expressions of Indigenous Peoples of The Americas. The project includes an Indigenous film series with panel discussions and dialogues; readings, both community reads and presentations by visiting authors; dialogues on Indigenous issues; music and dance performances reflecting Indigenous expression; and professional development opportunities for preK – 12 teachers, preparing them to respectfully teach about historical and contemporary Indigenous issues. The team reflects the diversity of Indigenous populations in our community as well as representatives from African American and immigrant populations to ensure that respect for our varied  stories and voices is modeled in all aspects, from planning to facilitation. The team includes Native Americans of different tribal identities as well as Hawaiian, Samoan, and Indigenous artists from Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador. This project is made possible with partial funding through a grant from Humanities Tennessee, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the NEH Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative.  This project has been so successful that we are embedding Indigenous Voices into our permanent programming at the Global Education Center.

PLEASE NOTE:  We will be hosting Native American performer Larry Yazzie, who was raised on the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama, Iowa where he learned the traditional ways of his ancestors. Larry is an award-winning dancer, musician, actor, and educator who offers a school assembly that includes stories steeped in history and culture, beautiful flute music, and the Eagle Dance and the Men's Fancy Dance. Larry will be in residence at the Global Education Center from October 23 - 28, 2023, and will be available for school performances during that week. Please contact ellen@globaleducationcenter.org to book a performance. If you need financial assistance to make it possible, check into the Student Ticket Subsidy Grant of the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Community Concert featuring Larry Yazzie as well as local Indigenous Artists Trenton Wheeler and the Charles Robinson family
is set for October 27, 2023 at 7:30 pm at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Avenue.

Past activities for Indigenous Voices (2022-2023)