December 6, 2012
2012 marks the 20th anniversary of On Our Own Ground: The Collected Works of William Apess, a Pequot (University of Massachusetts Press, 1992), edited by Amherst College Professor Barry O’Connell. Since the publication, Apess has emerged as “an intellectual beacon” (Robert Warrior, The People and the Word) for the 21st century, an indigenous intellectual and political visionary who is even now enabling scholars, students, tribal leaders and activists to envision strategies for revitalization, resistance and survival. Watch video of the symposium, including talks by Robert Warrior (Osage), director of American Indian studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Jean O’Brien (Anishinaabe), chair of American Indian studies, University of Minnesota; and Ramona Peters, tribal historic preservation officer, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; and a special address by Barry O'Connell, Amherst College.
This event was sponsored by the Department of English and the Dean of the Faculty at Amherst College.