With many native languages
nearing extinction, two University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point professors are
showcasing the language and culture of two indigenous nations as part of the
11th annual University Evening.
The event will be held
Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Alumni Room of the Dreyfus
University Center at UW-Stevens Point. “Ojibway and Runasimi (Quechua)
Languages, Songs and Dances: Survival of Indigenous Nations,” will be presented
by professors Sonny Smart, sociology and social work, and Elia
Armacanqui-Tipacti, world languages and literatures. The event is offered to
the public free of charge, with a reception to follow.
University Evening is held annually to celebrate the
creativity and scholarship of distinguished UW-Stevens Point faculty.
At this year’s event, the faculty members will provide a
short history of the Ojibway (North America) and Runasimi/Quechua (South
America) languages, how each connects to native culture and how the languages
have survived western influence. A demonstration of songs and dances will
explore how languages and culture interact.
Smart is a member of the Band River Band of Chippewa of
Wisconsin and was adopted into the Menominee tribe. He coordinated the Native
American rural social work program and the Native American Family Institute at
UW-Stevens Point. He teaches courses in Native American social work, child
welfare and family interaction. He serves as a tribal judge and holds positions
with the Ojibwa ceremonial Big Drum and Midewiwin medicine societies. He has
been actively involved in powwows across the country for more than 40 years.
Armacanqui-Tipacti, a native of Peru, teaches Spanish at
UW-Stevens Point and specializes in Latin American, medieval, Golden Age and
colonial literature. Her books have been translated into several languages. She
is a founder and active member of a group that aims to preserve the
Runasimi/Quechua language. She received the UW System Women of Color Award in 2006
and 2013 and the UW-Stevens Point Scholar Award in 2013.