Violet Duncan joins us to celebrate her release of Buffalo Dreamer, an illuminating novel about a family healing from the brutal treatment of their elders, who’d been forced to attend federally-run Indian Boarding Schools intent on erasing their native identity.
The Heard Museum gratefully welcomes Violet Duncan (author, educator, dancer, matriarch) for a read aloud and book signing of her newly released youth novel, Buffalo Dreamer. Violet will read a portion of the novel, discuss her inspiration, and provide guests with the opportunity to get their very own signed copy!
This engagement is being offered to commemorate and honor the Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools or Orange Shirt Day.
Orange Shirt Day is observed on Sept 30 in Canada and the U.S. to honor and remember the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and placed in residential schools. The orange shirt symbolizes the stripping away of Indigenous identity and culture. It originated from the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a survivor of the residential school system. The orange shirt now serves as a powerful reminder of the experiences of children like Phyllis and the broader injustices faced by Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.
Books & More will be open for the duration of the event so make sure to grab your copy and check out additional books from Violet as well as other influential Indigenous authors. Heard Museum Members receive a 10% discount at Books & More.
About The Author
Violet Duncan is Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation. She has toured nationally and internationally as an author, educator, dancer, and storyteller, and facilitates workshops to promote spiritual wellness and cultural education across the US, Canada, and Europe. After becoming a mother of four and seeing the need for Native representation in literature, she wrote three picture books: I Am Native, When We Dance, and Let’s Hoop Dance! She is currently the Indigenous Cultural Advisor at the Tempe Center for the Arts, where she aims to create space for a permanent program of Indigenous performance and practice. She lives in Mesa, Arizona.
