Artists Le’Ana Asher and Chris Pappan are joined by DePaul students Angelina Alvarez and Salise Sepulveda from DePaul Native American & Indigenous Student Association (NAISA) to converse about displacement and the value of land acknowledgement. How should we acknowledge the peoples of this land on our campus? What is beyond land acknowledgements? How do we engage our community in this learning process? In what ways are land acknowledgments living documents and how to address that?

Le’Ana Asher is an artist deeply passionate about celebrating and preserving Native American culture. Her art embodies the enduring spirit of Indigenous people, emphasizing themes of identity, resilience, healing, and memory.

Chris Pappan is an American Indian artist of Osage, Kaw, Cheyenne River Sioux and mixed European heritage. His art confronts the dominant culture’s distorted perceptions of Native peoples whilst proclaiming that “we are still here!”

Salise Sepulveda is a DePaul University student majoring in Environmental Science. She works as a STARS Peer Mentor at DePaul, and is the Vice President of DePaul’s Native American and Indigenous Student Association.

Angelina Alvarez is a DePaul University student majoring in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies. She works in DePaul’s Latinx Cultural Center, and is the President and Co-Founder of DePaul’s Native American and Indigenous Student Association.

This event is part of DePaul’s Native Heritage Month programming.

Organized by DePaul Art Museum, DePaul’s Latinx Cultural Center, Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity, and Division of Student Affairs.