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Communication Associate: Public Relations | Lori Melton | lmelton@d.umn.edu | (218) 726-8830
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February 3, 2012
Susan Banovetz | Director of External Affairs | 218 726-6141| banovetz@d.umn.edu
Christiana Kapsner | UMD Public Relations Assistant | 218 726-8830 | ckapsner@d.umn.edu
Rick Smit | Director | UMD American Indian Learning Resource Center | 218 726-6293 | rsmith1@d.umn.edu


Duluth Community Invited to Annual "Spring Feast"

The Duluth community and surrounding area are invited to attend the annual UMD American Indian Learning Resource Center "Spring Feast." The celebration is scheduled for Tuesday, February 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the UMD Kirby Ballroom. Free and open to the public, the luncheon will include wild rice and an assortment of light dishes.

As part of the event, Ojibwe elder, artist, former professor, and UMD alum Carl Gawboy will join Ron Morton, UMD geological sciences professor, to discuss their book, "Ancient Earth and the First Ancestors, a Cultural and Geological Journey."

"The American Indian Learning Resource Center welcomes everyone to this annual event," said Rick Smith, director of the American Indian Learning Resource Center. "This year we are honored to present a compelling topic that combines scientific research and an intrinsic understanding of the American Indian culture."

The collaborative publication was released by Rockflower Press that stated in the publisher's review that the "work follows an earth scientist and Ojibwe elder as they travel through three billion years of geological time exploring the ancient rocks that make up a large part of the state of Minnesota. As the geologist describes how these rocks formed and brings to life the ancient worlds they created, the elder, through Native American stories, oral history, culture, and science illustrates how his people had an intimate understanding of, and deep respect for, these ancient rocks and the land they give shape to."

A book signing will follow the discussion.

Additional Information About Professor Ron Morton

Ron Morton is a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he teaches courses in Introductory Geology, Economic Geology, and Volcanology. His main area of research is the physical volcanology of ancient volcanoes and their associated mineral resources. This is his 6th published book.

Additional Information About Carl Gawboy

Carl Gawboy, a member of the Bois Forte Band of the Minnesota Ojibwe, is an accomplished artist and retired professor of Amer­ican Indian studies at the College of St. Scholastica. His art career has focused on Ojibwe cultural systems as reflected in everyday life, work and rituals within the context of their historical environment and traditions. The Depot Foundation (Duluth, Minnesota) recognized Carl Gawboy with the Arts and Culture Lifetime Artist Awards in 2008 and in 2011 a documentary film, Carl Gawboy Portrait: The Art of the Everyday by Lorraine Norrgard was released. Carl also continues with his interest in the con­nection between ancient pictographs and traditional Native American understandings of astronomy and constellations.

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