Gallaudet University to Host Indigenous Healing and Building Renaming Ceremony; Debuts “We, Native Deaf People, Are Still Here!” Exhibition

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ —

Media Advisory

What:

On October 17, 2024, Gallaudet University, the leading institution in the world for deaf and hard of hearing students, will host two historic events on its Washington, D.C. campus. Free and open to the public, both events will center Native Deaf experiences, reclaim Indigenous heritages, and acknowledge and heal past trauma.

Building 103 Healing and Renaming Ceremony, led by Turtle Island Hand Talk with a traditional Indigenous healing ceremony, will rename Building 103 to òkànkwèpihëna tëtpi/Circle of Signers. The name is in Lenape, the language that was spoken by the Nacotchtank and Piscataway Peoples, the First Residents of the land that would become the District of Columbia. Building 103 was originally named after Senator Henry L. Dawes, who served on Gallaudet’s Board of Directors for 34 years and initiated The Dawes Act of 1887, which gave the government the authority to regulate land rights on tribal territories within the United States. This Act led to catastrophic damage to Native American tribes all over the USA. Lands were stolen, tribes were forced out of their homes, linguistic and cultural genocide occurred, and families were torn apart.

The opening of “We, Native Deaf People, Are Still Here!” two-year exhibition, led by Indigenous deaf curators and funded by HumanitiesDC, is designed to inform and inspire deaf and hearing people in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond. Located in the National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University, the exhibition will feature art and cultural heritage from members of the Indigenous Deaf community telling their own stories and exploring what it means to reclaim and heal through art, language, and history. Key exhibition elements include: murals and panels addressing land acknowledgments; cultural and language revitalization; a “We Are All Indigenous” selfies wall; books by Indigenous writers; and sign language and tactile features. A focal point of the exhibition is a large mural by renowned Deaf artist Nancy Rourke which honors the District of Columbia’s Nacotchtank and Piscataway heritage by depicting members of that community providing a land acknowledgment in an Indigenous sign language.

When:

Both events to take place Thursday, October 17, 2024, beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Where:

Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE
Washington, D.C. 20002

Schedule of Events:

11:30 a.m. ET – Grand Entry/Procession of Flags (outside Building 103)
12 – 1 p.m. ET – Healing and Renaming Ceremony (outside Building 103)
1 – 3 p.m. ET – Reception (National Deaf Life Museum in Chapel Hall)

Expected Attendees/Special Guests:
Turtle Island Hand Talk representatives
“We, Native Deaf People, Are Still Here!” curators and artists
D.C. Mayor’s Office representatives
U.S. Department of State representatives
Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian representatives
Steve Brunelle, host
Lance Fisher, notable drummer
Gallaudet Indigenous Peoples Student Alliance, Board of Trustees and President Cordano

Media:

Interviews and broadcasting/filming opportunities will be available to credentialled media. All visitors, including credentialled media for these events, will be required to enter through the university’s Florida Avenue and Eighth Street NE entrance and present photo identification. To secure media credentials, please contact Elise Nye in advance.

Media Contact:

Elise Nye
Communications Director
Office of University Communications
Gallaudet University
[email protected]

SOURCE Gallaudet University

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