The Sequoyah National Research Center will host Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness, a traveling exhibition to U.S. libraries, June 21 through August 3.
Native Voices explores the interconnectedness of wellness, illness, and cultural life for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. 
Stories drawn from both the past and present examine how health for Native People is tied to community, the land, and spirit. Through interviews, Native People describe the impact of epidemics, federal legislation, the loss of land, and the inhibition of culture on the health of Native individuals and communities today.
As part of programming for the exhibit, SNRC will host an Open House on July 11, from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. The open house will allow visitors to explore the exhibit after a brief introduction by the archivist Erin Fehr. A reception will follow.
On July 19, the next film screening of Heartbeat Alaska will be a companion to the exhibit. The screening will feature segments from different Heartbeat Alaska episodes that focus on health and illness from an Alaska Native perspective. The clips will show traditional practices like subsistence lifestyles that prevent certain diseases, sobriety and prevention programs, and more. The screening will take place in Ottenheimer Library, Room 535, at noon. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch.
SNRC is one of 104 sites hosting the exhibit and the only location in Arkansas. The exhibit will be open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. To learn more and view content from the exhibit, visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices. For more information about the programming at SNRC, please contact Erin Fehr at ehfehr@ualr.edu or 501-569-8336.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) developed and produced Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness. The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in partnership with NLM, tours the exhibition to America’s libraries.
