Stories I Didn't Know Panel Discussion

This discussion took place after screening the film "Stories I Didn't Know" at Celtic Junction Arts Center on April 26, 2024. "Stories I Didn't Know" is an award-winning documentary by Rita Davern and Melody Gilbert.
Rita's great-grandparents once owned Pike Island, a beautiful piece of land at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. She goes on a journey that requires facing the complicated legacy of westward expansion in the U.S. She meets Ramona, a Dakota educator. What Ramona’s ancestors experienced because of U.S. government policies puts faces and names on this story. Rita listens and learns.
Panelists:
Ramona Kitto Stately is an enrolled member of the Santee Sioux Nation. Her educational background includes a BA in Dakota Art and Culture and an MA Ed in Teacher Leadership. She spent 15 years directing Indian Education for the Osseo Area School District 2005-2020 and currently she serves as the Project Director of We Are Still Here Minnesota, creating action for narrative change (washmn.org/).
Reuben Kitto Stately, stage name Kitto, is a recording artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has been writing and recording music for 10 years. Reuben, a graduate of Augsburg University, served as president of the Augsburg Indigenous Student Association. He is a Dakhota Language learner and teacher, and member of the Minnesota Indian Education Board of Directors since 2019. Reuben is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation.
Rita Davern is a 4th generation Minnesotan with cultural roots in the Burren area of County Clare, Ireland. She knows first-hand that, for U.S. people with European heritage, reconnecting to our homeland and our cultural history adds huge richness to our lives. More about the film, Stories I Didn't Know can be found here: www.storiesidi...
This event was part of 2024 Irish Arts Week at The Celtic Junction Arts Center.