Joyfull event highlights Indigenous arts, culture
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UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State's Center for the Performing Arts will host a free event celebrating Indigenous arts and culture Oct. 12 at the HUB-Robeson Center.
The Joyfull: Feast Edition will begin at 6 p.m. in Alumni Hall and feature Dakota Sioux rapper, songwriter and producer Stuart James, along with a buffet catered by Paul's Provisions. This year's theme is "Indigenous People in the Modern World."
James, who is from the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota, will perform following the meal. His music focuses on subjects including resilience, mental health and Indigenous pride.
"I believe natives are some of the best storytellers on Earth, so it's kind of already embedded in us," James said. "We were just surrounded by great storytellers, so I think that part, creatively, when I started making songs, that already kind of had its influence on me."
Jacinta Garcia, community support and belonging specialist at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, said organizers wanted the event to highlight contemporary Indigenous people and their work.
"So often, we are typically represented in the past, the buckskin, the feathers, the more traditional pieces," Garcia said. "It's really important to us to showcase what native people are doing now."
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Several related events are also scheduled at Penn State.
A Resistance Day Rally will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 12 at the HUB-Robeson Center Monumental Staircase.
James and Ernie Comedy will present "Laugh Now, Cry Later" from 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 12 in the Lion's Lair at the HUB-Robeson Center. The comedy duo will discuss Native American life, current affairs, addiction, sobriety and survival.
"The Life and Times of Shy Rez Boy" is scheduled from 3 to 4 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Flex Theater, followed by "Humor-Healing: A Journey of Empowerment and Healing" from 3 to 4 p.m. Oct. 14 at Foster Auditorium in Patee and Paterno Library. Registration is not required for the related events.
The Joyfull series is free and open to the community, with each event pairing a live performance with food connected to its theme. Future programs include a Minty Fresh Edition in February, Women's History Month Edition in March and Pride Edition in April.
The Joyfull: Feast Edition is presented by the Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with the Indigenous Peoples Faculty/Staff and Student Alliances, Paul Robeson Cultural Center and Penn State Student Affairs.