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\nCreated by Matika Wilbur\, Project 562 is a multi-yea r national photography \;project dedicated to photographing over 562 f ederally recognized Tribes\, urban Native communities\, Tribes fighting fo r federal recognition and Indigenous role models in what is currently know n as the United States\, resulting in an unprecedented repository of image ry and \;oral histories that accurately portrays contemporary Native A mericans.
\nMatika will be live at the \;Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to discuss Project 562. A limited amount of copies will b e given to the first attendees to arrive (must be registered) thanks to th e DC Public Library Foundation. \;
\nFor reasonable accommod ations\, please get in touch with the Center for Accessibility at 202-727- 2142 or DCPLaccess@dc.gov. For ASL or tactile interpretation\, please allo w at least seven (7) days' notice. \;
\nLooking for m ore titles from Indigenous authors? Check out our recommended reads on our Native American Heritage Month page
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\nAbout the Book
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A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Nativ e American life and cultures\, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face. The culmination of a decade-long art and storyte lling endeavor\, Project 562 is a peerless\, sweeping\, and moving love le tter to Indigenous Americans\, containing hundreds of stunning portraits a nd compelling personal narratives of contemporary Native people&mdash\;all photographed in clothing\, poses\, and locations of their choosing.
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Matika Wilbur is a critically acclaimed social documentarian and photographer from the S winomish and Tulalip peoples of coastal Washington. Project 562\, a crowdf unded initiative to visit\, engage\, and photograph people from over 562 s overeign Tribal Nations in North America\, is her fourth major creative ve nture elevating Native American identity and culture. She co-hosts the All My Relations podcast with Dr. Adrienne Keene. She has offered over 300 ke ynotes at such places as Harvard\, Yale\, Berkeley\, Google\, TED Talks\, the National Education Association\, and National Geographic Explorer\, an d is a regular contributor to the New York Times.
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Meet the Conversat
ion Partner
Sedelta Oosahwee (Mandan\, Hidatsa\, Ar ikara Nation) is currently a Senior Program/Policy Analyst/Specialist with the National Education Association where she manages the American Indian/ Alaska Native desk. In this role\, she manages national partnerships\, ass ists with outreach\, and advises on policy. She was recently appointed by the Biden Administration to serve on the National Advisory Council on Indi an Education. Previously\, she served in the Obama-Biden Administration as a Senior Advisor and Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Tribal Rela tions in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture . Before that\, she was the Associate Director of the White House Initiati ve on American Indian and Alaska Native Education. Prior to shifting her c areer focus to the national level\, Oosahwee served as a Special Projects Officer at the Cherokee Nation and as Coordinator for Student Programs in the Center for Tribal Studies at Northeastern State University in Tahlequa h\, Oklahoma.
\n\;Oosahwee works closely with a number of highe r education organizations and has assisted with grants and scholarships th at are focused specifically on serving Indigenous students. She is current ly serving on the Board of Directors for the National Indian Education Ass ociation and Speak Out: The Institute for Democratic Education and Culture . She has also served on the Technical Review Panel for the National India n Education Study since 2018. In 2014\, she was named one of the National Center for American Indian Economic Development&rsquo\;s 40 under 40. Oosa hwee earned her undergraduate degree in Public Affairs and Administration and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from the Univ ersity of Oklahoma.
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The Public Square is a conversation series fr
om DC Public Library that aims to bring leaders and innovators to the Libr
ary to discuss the next phase of their work or scholarship. The series\, i
nitially launched in January 2023 in celebration of the Martin Luther King
Jr. Memorial Library's 50th anniversary\, looks to explore the next front
ier of equity through conversation and is presented in partnership with th
e DC Public Library Foundation.