Troy University’s Indigenous Narratives class will host a set of discussions with Indigenous leaders and artists through funding from the Mellon Foundation grant for a project titled: “(Re)reading Alabama’s Cultural Archives: Connecting Place to its Multitudes.”
The discussions will be held in the International Arts Center’s (IAC) Huo Bao Zhu Gallery. Dr. Shari Hoppin, a 2026 Mellon Foundation Honors Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor in the Hall School of Journalism and Communication, said inviting these leaders and artists brings living Indigenous knowledge into the academic space, an approach that aligns with the Mellon grant’s emphasis on community-engaged humanities.
“By bringing these Indigenous leaders to campus, Troy University becomes a place where research and lived experience meet,” Dr. Hoppin said. “These visitors will highlight ongoing issues affecting Indigenous communities.”
On Thursday, Feb. 12, the first discussion featured talks led by Chief James Wright and Vice Chief Nancy Carnley of the Ma-Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama on cultural traditions and the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
“Nancy Carnley’s work on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women national task force brings attention to a national crisis that is often under-reported,” Dr. Hoppin said. “Indigenous issues are not only historical, but they are also urgent and contemporary.”
Dr. Hoppin hopes that participants gain a richer understanding of Alabama’s cultural landscape through these discussions.
“Learning directly from Indigenous leaders helps people see Alabama not just as a state with Indigenous history, but as a place with Indigenous presence,” Dr. Hoppin said. “Hearing from tribal leaders demystifies tribal governance and highlights challenges Indigenous nations are facing today.”
All discussions will begin at 11 a.m. The dates, topics and speakers for upcoming discussions are as follows:
- Thursday, Feb. 26: Michelle Gilmore, Chief of the Southeastern Mvskoke Nation, will lead a discussion on tribal governance, cultural revitalization and contemporary challenges.
- Thursday, March 5: Indigenous artist, Kelly Three Hawks Spivey, will lead a discussion on his creative process and the role of art in sustaining community memory. Participants will get to experience culture through hands-on learning in a feather-tying workshop.
- Tuesday, March 31: Dr. Robert Pullen, Mvskoke Maker of Medicine, will lead a discussion on Indigenous healing knowledge and the role of ceremony and narrative in medicine-making practice.
