The city of Philomath invites the community to a special program set for Monday, Oct. 9 at City Hall as part of Indigenous Peoples Day. The event with guest speaker Luhui Whitebear, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, begins at 6 p.m.
The holiday, celebrated annually on the second Monday in October, honors indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. Oregon formally started recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day as a state holiday in 2021.
Whitebear, whose program is entitled “Personal Reflections Upon Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” is associated with the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and has a Huastec and Cochimi ancestry, according to biographical information provided on the OSU website. She has ties and works with the the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
“As an indigenous faculty member, I am committed to honoring and respecting the tribal nations whose lands and waters our institution is situated on and interacts with,” she wrote. “My research and work institutionally are informed by the indigenous knowledge systems and beliefs I was raised with.”
Philomath City Hall is located at 980 Applegate St.
Following the program, the Philomath City Council will begin its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m.