First Nations Studies 2024-2025 Webinar Lecture Series: Indigenous Place: Reclaiming our Relationship with Land

Description: We will explore the connection between Indigenous stories of Place and our interactions the land. Emphasizing the importance of the relationships we build with land and our responsibility to those relationships. Participants will gain insights how our land is currently being threatened by human impact, how Indigenous Knowledge of Place challenges the dominant narratives of land use, and how to foster sustainable practices rooted in relationship. Together, we will reflect on our individual and collective impacts on the earth, discovering actionable ways to align our lives with values that support ecological balance and honor our ancestral knowledge systems.
Bio: “Lois Stevens is a mother, educator, researcher, geographer, and citizen of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin. Her true name is Kah^tuwahna, given to her by her great grandmother. She raises three daughters with her partner, Paul; Kah^tes, Yakokalanolu, and Yakoliwawihe. She is an Assistant Professor of First Nations Studies and the First Nations Education Doctoral Program at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She received a Masters in Indigenous Studies and a PhD in the Department of Geography, both from the University of Kansas. Growing up on the Oneida Reservation, she developed a deep appreciation for ancestral knowledge, communal relationships, and an understanding of her impact on Mother Earth. As a researcher and geographer, her research interests involve the effects of environmental change and Place-based adaptation within Indigenous communities. As an educator, she is invested in empowering Indigenous voices, encouraging individual wellness, and helping others find their gifts.”