Vancouver, WA – The Clark County Historical Museum (CCHM) welcomes Humanities Washington speaker, Fern Renville, to the History on Tap stage with “American Democracy’s Indigenous Roots and Future” at the Kiggins Theatre on September 29th. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m.
History books teach us that the Founding Fathers birthed American democracy, but do not reveal the Indigenous sources of inspiration that guided their vision. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s Great Law of Peace—uniting six Nations in an alliance that predates the American Constitution by centuries—served as a powerful example to men such as Benjamin Franklin, who benefited from the political guidance of Haudenosaunee leaders. Franklin directly cited the Law’s influence on the Constitution.
But even Franklin did not comprehend the political and spiritual power held by the clan mothers of these matriarchal societies, who were instrumental to building and maintaining a peaceful union. Join storyteller Fern Renville as she shares stories both mythic and personal that reframe and highlight the history, present, and future of Indigenous female power and leadership in America. Such stories include the Seneca story of The Peacemaker and the Dakota story of White Buffalo Calf Woman.
Fern Naomi Renville (she/her) is a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota, Omaha, and Seneca-Cayuga storyteller, theatre director, and playwright. She is the great-granddaughter of Melinda Cayuga, a Seneca matriarch who exemplified the loving strength of the clan mothers.
The evening will include our newest segment A History and A Lie, where audience members try to figure out which tidbits of history are true and which ones are fake. We’re also bringing back the popular Clark County Trivia with a twist! This year the crew from our presenting sponsor, Business Over Beer, will compete all season for the title of “King of Trivia” as they try to answer questions about Clark County and beyond.
CCHM is excited to welcome Business Over Beer as our 2022 History on Tap presenting sponsor. Business Over Beer is reimagining small business networking through the power of shared experience. They support the personal and professional development of local small business owners through Passages To Success, a program offering live events, mentorship, and peer to peer accountability. And of course, they have the second biggest podcast in the Pacific Northwest behind only the Sasquatch Hunters.
We also want to give a special thanks to our other sponsors Vancouver’s Downtown Association and Mickler & Associates. Program support provided by Versa Events (formerly Wager Audio).
Admission to History on Tap is $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Kiggins Theatre Box Office or online at www.kigginstheatre.com.
For more information can be found on our website (cchmuseum.org), social media (@cchmuseum). Contact the museum at 360-993-5679 or outreach@cchmuseum.org.
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