Lakota community leader visits WFU
Harry Charger, a member of the Sans Arc band of the Lakota people, will present lectures on Native American topics and lead a drum workshop at Wake Forest University Sept. 9-18.
The Sans Arc band lives on the Cheyenne River Reservation in Eagle Butte, S.D. Eleven Wake Forest students mentored and tutored children in an after-school program at the reservation in May. Associate Professor of Humanities Ulrike Wiethaus was the faculty adviser for the trip.
The volunteer program, “The Tie That Binds,” seeks to cross the bridges of ethnicity and socioeconomic status while promoting cultural awareness and respect. As a result of the trip, arrangements were made to bring Charger to Wake Forest.
Charger has performed traditional healing ceremonies for many years and is an expert in the field. His approach to healing is holistic and integrative, combining philosophical, spiritual and medical knowledge and practices.
On the reservation, Charger has applied his healing knowledge to the treatment of alcoholism and is currently focusing on diabetes and cancer treatments for native populations.
At 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 9, Charger will present a video and lecture titled, “Ecological Balance and Land Preservation in Lakota Country: The Return of the Buffalo,” in Tribble Hall’s DeTamble Auditorium.
A roundtable discussion on “Alternative Healing Traditions: Native American Indian and Western Perspectives” will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 in DeTamble Auditorium. The discussion will feature two guest speakers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Dr. Suzanne Hess, assistant professor of radiation oncology, and Dr. Doreen Hughes, professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine.
At 2 p.m. on Sept. 13 a lecture on “The Spirituality and Cultural Significance of Lakota Music and Song” and a drum workshop will be held in the Ring Theatre in Scales Fine Arts Center.
A slide and video presentation, called “Service Learning in Eagle Butte, Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota: Cultural Perspectives and Reflections,” will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 in the Benson University Center. A roundtable discussion featuring the Wake Forest students who volunteered in South Dakota will follow.
Charger will conclude his visit with a talk at Wake Forest’s medical center on Sept. 18. “Community Healers: A Conversation with Harry Charger” will begin at 7 p.m. in the Kitty Hawk Room, Piedmont Plaza I.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information call Ulrike Wiethaus at 336-758-7169.
Categories: Arts & Culture, Community Impact, Happening at Wake
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