by Christi Mathis
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Two of the events Southern Illinois University Carbondale is hosting this month in honor of Native American Heritage Month, including last night’s planned guest speaker presentation, are changing dates due to illness.
The planned event for last night, Nov. 7, featuring Troy Wayne Poteete, a founding member of the Trail of Tears Association, as the keynote speaker has been moved to 6 p.m. Nov. 14. Poteete, who served on the board of directors for the association for more than 20 years before becoming executive director in 2014, will speak at the John C. Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library.
An acclaimed Cherokee history storyteller and lecturer, he inspires audiences with stories that meld his rich Cherokee Nation family history with experiences from his lifetime of service in the Cherokee Nation government.
The Trail of Tears narrative, originally scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Guyon Auditorium, will take place today at 3:30 p.m., the same time Poteete’s presentation was originally scheduled. Members of the Trail of Tears Association will share the local perspective and context of when the Cherokee crossed Southern Illinois between 1837 and 1839. They will interpret the portion of the trail that crosses through the region, tell of what took place during that forced relocation and what is being done to protect the trail today.
Both events are free and open to the public.