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The NEA Big Read: An American Sunrise at Framingham State University: Event

A community read with a series of workshops, exhibitions and discussions honoring Native American and indigenous voices, presented by the Henry Whittemore Library at Framingham State.

Event

Welcome to the NEA Big Read at Framingham State!

The Henry Whittemore Library is honored to host a community read centering the Native American experience. We will make available free copies of  Joy Harjo's book, An American Sunrise, and host her talk in December. 

Framingham State University would like to acknowledge that the land we live, work, learn, and commune on is the original homelands of the Nipmuc tribal nations. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land on which we gather. The Library is committed to honoring Native American and Indigenous Peoples’ heritage by hosting educational events and providing educational resources.

Visit the Nipmuc Nation's website to learn more about their history and organization.

Native American Music

FAQs about FSU's NEA Big Read initiative.

What is the NEA Big Read?

  • The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, a partnership with Arts Midwest, broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Showcasing a diverse range of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire conversation and discovery.

    - found on the NEA Big Read page.

What is the featured book and how can I find a copy?

Does these events cost anything? Who could go?

  • Most events staged in conjunction with FSU's NEA Big Read are free and open to the public. The art workshops staged by the Danforth Art School require a fee to attend to cover materials and expenses.  Visit Danforth's Take a Class webpage to learn more about their upcoming workshops, including their entry fees and relative difficulty levels.

FSU and the Smithsonian Institution

How is the Smithsonian involved with FSU?

  • Framingham State University is proud to be one of just six Smithsonian Affiliates in Massachusetts and the only one located at a higher education institution. Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops long-term, high quality partnerships with museums and educational organizations in order to share collections, exhibitions, learning opportunities, and research expertise.  

Upcoming Events for the NEA Big Read: An American Sunrise at FSU

Click on an event date to jump to its name.  Click on an event name to jump to its event page.

More Information about Joy Harjo

More Information about Native American Heritage

To learn more about Indigenous territories, treaties and languages, visit the the website of the Native Land mapping project.

The Whittemore Library maintains a LibGuide dedicated to the observance of National Native American Heritage Month.  It contains a variety of helpful links related to Native American Heritage, including streaming content, online articles, and public websites.

Living Nations, Living Words: A Guide for Educators guide offers teachers and other educators ideas for using U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's signature project, "Living Nations, Living Words," in the classroom.

Information about the NEA Big Read Grant


 

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

El proyecto NEA Big Read es una iniciativa del National Endowment for the Arts (el Fondo Nacional para las Artes de Estados Unidos) en cooperación con Arts Midwest.


In June of 2021, Framingham State University was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Grant from Arts Midwest to support its NEA Big Read initiative.

The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read is designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. The Henry Whittemore Library at Framingham State University is one of 70+ nonprofit organizations to receive a grant to host an NEA Big Read project.