In honor of American Indian Heritage Month, the Ohio University Multicultural Programs have organized and funded a presentation by musician and writer Joy Harjo.
The presentation will not be a formal lecture, but a speech and performance of music and poetry to educate and entertain. It will take place in Baker Center Theater on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Admission is free, said Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director of Multicultural Programs.
Every year the Multicultural Programs like to acknowledge cultural heritage months in order to show students the challenges that the group faces and accomplishes, said Chunnu-Brayda.
Part of the focus of the Multicultural Programs’ focus is to engage the OU and Athens communities in other cultures. The program selected Harjo based on her heritage, music and writing.
“Whenever we have a speaker who is also a performer, we like for them to do a combination (of speaking and performing) because it makes it interesting,” Chunnu-Brayda said.
Harjo said that she is looking forward to showcasing her music at OU because it is an opportunity to reach out to a new area; much of the time, she travels internationally.
She added that she is looking forward to speaking and performing at OU because “Athens has a great reputation.”
In addition to performing, Harjo has also written poetry and several books, the most recent being a memoir titled ‘Crazy Brave.’ The memoir provides details of how she became a poet and other significant experiences throughout her life.
“I used to be shy at school,” she sad, although she grew up around music and writing. “To stand up and speak and perform is quite a turn of events.”
Even though Harjo was not always a performer, she is now a well-respected speaker and entertainer, Chunnu-Brayda said.
“She’s an engaging presenter,” she said. “I go to these presentations every year, and always learn something new.”
