The University of Minnesota to host national conference for organization of Chicana/Latina and Native American women

“The University of Minnesota will host the Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social MALCS, Women Active in Letters and Social Change national conference Aug. 2 to 4 on the St. Paul campus.

MALCS is an organization of Chicana, Latina and Native American women working in academia and in community settings with a common goal: to work toward the support, education and dissemination of Chicana, Latina and Native American womens issues. The group gathers annually at the conference to network, share information, present research work, offer support and re-energize.

The theme of this years conference, “Among Women, Between Nations–Entre mujeres, entre naciones,” symbolizes both the intimacy and the sociopolitical complexity of identities, relationships and affiliations between spaces and across borders.

“We hope to examine our commonalities as well as the things that separate us,” said University of Minnesota professor and conference organizer Eden Torres. “We will make a conscious effort to address issues particular to indigenous womens communities, as well as the transnational realities of Chicana and Latina lives.”

Although conference panels are open only to registered members, two plenary sessions are open to the public.

Friday at 4 p.m., representatives of the Womens Indigenous/Native Caucus will be speaking on the topic: “Between and Among Us: Native-Chicana Women Speak about Indignity.” This session features Michigan artist Nora Chapa Mendoza, a council and elder member of the Kanto de la Tierra, Kalpulli Koakalco Mexico. Navajo writer, Reid Gómez and Celia Herrera Rodriguez, a founding member of La Red Xicana Indigena, will join Mendoza on Fridays plenary session.

On Saturday at 4:30 p.m., acclaimed Choctaw author LeAnne Howe will begin the plenary session entitled, “The Fire Within: Women Discus What Inspires Them to Write.” Joining her will be: Patricia Gonzales, co-author of the Column of the Americas; Susan Power, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and author of “The Grass Dancer,” as well as “brownfemipower,” the pseudonym of the founder of the Woman of Color Blog site of the same name.

The public is also invited to an eclectic cultural night presentation at the St. Paul Student Theater, Saturday Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Cathy Davalos of the Los Angeles Davalos Dance Company will be presenting a series of dances entitled, “Borders, Spaces, and Brown-eyed Girls.” Local folksinger and University of Minnesota Vice President for Equity and Diversity Rusty Barceló will also perform and acclaimed Latina poet Lorena Duarte will be reading her work. The evening includes an open mic for conference participants.

For more information on MALCS and the conference, visit www.malcs.net or contact MALCS at malcs@umn.edu or Alex Mendoza, 612 624-4190, mend0121@umn.edu.”

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