Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Thursday, June 3, 2021 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. via ZOOM
Sedona AZ (May 4, 2021) – The third LWVNA DEI Committee meeting will present three speakers in a wide ranging panel discussion centered on Northern Arizona’s tribal communities and concerns. Arizona Senator Jamescita Peshlakai, who is Diné and descended from a long line of tribal headmen and officials, will share how her interest in elected leadership developed and carried her to the State Legislature. Kimberly Spurr will speak about Northern Arizona tribal history and the challenges our tribal neighbors have faced/still face in maintaining traditional cultures while interacting with non-Native communities, and working to expanding their influence in the political sphere. Kelley Hays-Gilpin will discuss tribal history, arts, and concerns about land and sacred places, as well as the diversity within and among Northern Arizona tribes. The talk will end with discussion of some specific legislation that is relevant to Northern Arizona tribal issues and attendee questions.
Representing Legislative District 7, Arizona Senator Jamescita Peshlakai is currently serving her third Arizona Senate term as the state’s first Native American female senator, prior to serving in the state House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015. Senator Peshlakai’s district is comprised of nine of Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribal constituencies: Hualapai, Havasupai, Kaibab Paiute, San Juan Southern Paiute, Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache, San Carlos Apache, and a small portion of Zuni Pueblo.
Dr. Kimberly Spurr has been a professional archaeologist for more than 30 years, working primarily in the American Southwest. She is currently the Archaeology Division Director at the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA), where she works with federal agencies and tribal representatives to preserve and protect ancestral sites and cultural material. She spent a decade as an archaeologist with the Navajo Nation assisting with compliance for infrastructure development and training Indigenous archaeology students.
Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin serves as Professor of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University and Edward Bridge Danson, Jr. Chair of Anthropology at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Her research focuses on visual arts in ancient to contemporary Pueblo communities, as well as contemporary Indigenous concerns about environment, ecology, and sacred places.
This Voter Education program is free. To register for the event and receive the Zoom link, please email: lwvnaz@gmail.com.