In many indigenous cultures, story is central to a group's understanding of who they are. For the Dakota and the Ojibwe, indigenous people to Minnesota, stories of water are foundational to the relationship between place and community. The program will feature a short video by Dakota transmedia artist Mona Smith (Allies:media/art), and a panel discussion including Ethan Neerdaels (Dakota Language Society), Mary Hermes (UMN-CEHD), and Vince Diaz (UMN-CLA).

The University of Minnesota (Twin Cities campus) is located in Dakota homeland, on one of the great rivers of the world, in a national park. Our responsibilities to this location call us to think about heritage and water in a manner that is fully inclusive. Three community-engaged anthropologists will bring their perspectives to this discussion. Joe Watkins, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, directed the Native American Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma (2007-13) and consults internationally with Indigenous communities on heritage issues.