Native Sara Deer to Speak at Series
UNC-Pembroke will host Sara Deer, professor and activist, as part of the Native American Speaker Series, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the University Center Annex.
Deer, who was awarded a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship in 2014 for her leadership and accomplishments, will present her work titled "Sovereignty of the Soul: Violence and Native Women."
“Students will learn about the reason for disproportionate violence against American Indian people and more important, what we all can do to stop it,” said Dr. Rose Stremlau, assistant professor of history and American Indian studies.
Deer is a part of the Muskogee tribe based in Oklahoma. She is a professor of law at William Mitchell College in Saint Paul, Minn. and is known for her work as an activist for American Indian women. She helps with tribal law and victims’ rights against women being molested and raped by a non-Indian persons and has even gone before the Supreme Court to bring awareness about these American Indian rape issues.
“Sarah Deer’s lecture provides members of the UNCP community and the local community with an opportunity to learn from one of the leading scholars and activist in the world on this incredibly important issue,” said Dr. Stremlau.
“Deer is very supportive and makes it her mission to protect Native women on reservations that are victims of rape. She is a strong believer that sexual assault should not go unpunished,” said Dr. Stremlau.
She also went on to discuss the importance of Deer’s work and how it is very much about creating solution, and how that’s a positive example for students, showing what an education can accomplish.
Following the event, a local representative from Southeastern Family Violence Center will be in the back handing out pamphlets and collecting donations such as washcloths, paper towels, deodorant, soap and other items.
Deer’s books will be on sale at the university bookstore on campus. Admission is free and open to the public.
