FSOCC Conference
October 29 - 31, 2008
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
Keynote Speakers:
Gilda L. Sheppard, Ph.D.
Gilda L. Sheppard, Ph.D. is a member of the faculty at The Evergreen State College Tacoma program as well as a distance learning instructor at Seattle Central Community College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Mercy College in Detroit, a Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington and a Doctorate in Sociology and Cultural Studies from the Union Graduate School in Cincinnati, Ohio. She teaches interdisciplinary courses in sociology, cultural studies and media literacy. She has published articles on media including an online article with cultural critic, bell hooks. She is an internationally award winning filmmaker. Her short documentary films have been screened throughout the USA as well as Berlin, Germany; Ghana, West Africa; recently at Fest Afrique 360 at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival; and the 2008 Short Film Corner at the 61st Cannes Film Festival.
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Joanne Shenandoah
A GRAMMY Award and 11-time Native American Music award winning artist and Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy, Joanne Shenandoah has fulfilled the promise of her Native American name, Tekaliwah-kwa, (She Sings). "She's become one of the most acclaimed Native American recording artists of her time." Associated Press
Since emerging as an artist in 1990, she has performed at such high-profile gigs at Carnegie Hall; the White House; Kennedy Center; Earth Day on the Mall; Woodstock '94; and the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in South Africa; the famous Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, Spain; Istanbul; Hwa Eom Temple, S. Korea; and thousands of venues in the U.S.
"She weaves you into a trance with her beautiful Iroquois chants and wraps her voice around you like a warm blanket on a cool winter's night," said Robbie Robertson, formerly of the Band, who used her voice on his solo album Contact From the Underworld of Redboy. Shenandoah has also collaborated and/or performed with Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young, Brian Kirkpatrick, Willie Nelson, Rita Coolidge and scores of others.
Over time, Shenandoah's been able to channel her love of pop, folk and classical into her ancestrally inspired music and her music has been used in many soundtracks to include HBO, PBS, Northern Exposure, Bose Systems, the Discovery Channel, and TRANSAMERICA to name a few.
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Douglas George - Kanentiio
Lecturer - Author - Award winning journalist & film consultant
Kanentiio, is Akwesasne Mohawk territory and is a lecturer, renowned author and award winning journalist. He is nationally recognized as a primary source of information about Iroquois politics and culture. His expertise has been relied upon and sought after by historians, film producers as well as television documentary directors. He is a columnist for News From Indian Country and Indian Time publications.
Kanentiio's columns have also been printed in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Toronto Star, Rochester Democrat-Chronicle, Montreal Gazette, The London Free Press, Schenectady Gazette and the Albany Times Union For nine years The Syracuse Newspapers printed his columns on the Opinion page.
Kanentiio was presented with the "Wassaja Award" for contributions to journalism, the highest honor bestowed by the Native American Journalists Association, and was also featured in Gentlemen's Quarterly(GQ) Magazine.
Kanentiio was the editor of Akwesasne Notes for six years, a bimonthly international journal about indigenous people worldwide. He also edited Indian Time, a newspaper serving the Mohawk Nation.
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