Lake Superior State University Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant to Host “NEA Big Read,” with Campus, Community to Study Louise Erdrich’s Acclaimed 2012 Novel The Round House

Sep 03, 2020

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SaultSte.Marie,MI— LakeSuperiorStateUniversityreceiveda$14,850grantfromtheNationalEndowmentfortheArts(NEA)tohostacampusandcommunityprogramcalledthe“NEABigRead.”TheNEABigReadoffersarangeoftitlestochoosefromforcollectivestudy,andtheLSSUfamilyandneighborswillperuseLouiseErdrich’s2012prize-winningnovel,TheRoundHouse,asuspensetalesetontheOjibwereservationofNorthDakota.LSSU’sBigReadalsoincludesseveralrelatedfeatures:akeynotespeaker,paneldiscussion,documentaryfilmscreening,andgalleryexhibit,allonoverlappingthemes.

LSSUwasoneof84nonprofitorganizationsnationwidetoearn2020NEABigReadgrants,whichrangefrom$5,000to$15,000,andwhicharemanagedbytheMinneapolis-basedArtsMidwest.LSSUstudents,faculty,andstaffareencouragedtoreadthebook,whichtheycangetthroughthecampuslibrary,andparticipateintheotherhappenings.FreecopiesofTheRoundHousearealsobeingdistributedtocommunitypartners.MultiplecopiesarefurtheravailableattheBaylissLibraryinSaultSte.Marie,Mich.

“We’reexcitedtohosttheNEABigReadprogramwithourcampusandcommunitypartners,”saidMarcBoucher,directoroflibraryandacademicservicesatLSSUandcampusorganizeroftheinitiative.“TheNEABigReadismeanttosparkconversationanddiscovery,andtobroadenunderstandingoftheimmediateandlargerworlds,throughthesharingofagoodbook.IcanthinkofnobetterentrythanTheRoundHousefortheUpperPeninsula.It’samysteryyarn,acoming-of-agechronicle,andafamilysagasetagainstaNative-Americanbackdrop—elementsourstudents,staff,faculty,alumni,andthecommunitycanrelateto.”

Erdrich’s14^thnovelwontheNationalBookAwardforfictionforitsaccountofa13-year-oldOjibweboy’squestforjusticein1988.Hismother,aclerkoftribalrecords,isbeatenandrapednearasacredroundhouseonreservationland.Shewon’tnametheattacker,andothermurkycircumstancespreventthepursuitofprosecution,despiteeffortsofthefather/husband,atribaljudge.Narratingfromhindsightasapublicprosecutor,thesonconveysa“voicesosmart,richandfullofsurprises,”praisesNationalPublicRadio,throughwhichErdrichcraftsa“keenlymadestoryofapeculiarhistory,inanout-of-the-waypartofourcontinent,thattouchesontheheartsandsoulsofusall.”

TheNewYorkTimesagreed.Erdrich“showshowaseeminglyisolatedcrimehasmanyroots.”Inthe“riveting”account,“thisyoungboywillexperienceaheadyjoltofadolescentfreedomandabrutalintroductiontoboththesorrowsofgrown-uplifeandtheweightofhispeople’spast.”Thus,“Byboringdeeply”intoonetrauma,“Erdrichhitsthebedrocktruthaboutawholecommunity.”

LSSU’sNEABigReadiscomprisedofmultipleactivities.Allarefreeandopentothepublic.

• Bookdiscussions
  • Wednesday,Sept.16at7PMatBayMillsCommunityCollegeLibrary,12214W.LakeshoreDrive,Brimley,Mich.
  • Thursday,Oct.15at7PMatBaylissPublicLibrary,541LibraryDrive,SaultSte.Marie,Mich.
  • Wednesday,Nov.11atnoonattheLSSUNativeAmericanCenter
  • Thursday,Dec.10at4PMatOjibweLearningCenterandLibrary,523AshmunSt.,SaultSte.Marie,Mich.

• KickoffeventonThursday,Sept.24at4PMattheLSSULibrary
  • Keynotespeaker:attorneyBryanNewland,chairmanoftheBayMillsIndianCommunity;thefirstgraduateofMichiganStateUniversityCollegeofLaw’sIndianLawProgram;andapublicadviseronIndianaffairstotheAssistantSecretaryoftheInteriorduringtheObamaAdministrationfrom2009to2012
  • Screeningofthe2016documentaryshort,“ThisRiver,”ErikaMacPhersonandKatherenaVermette’s19-minutefirsthandexaminationfromanIndigenousperspectiveofthesearchforalovedonewhohasdisappeared
  • PaneldiscussionaboutthebookandfilmwithNewland;Hon.JocelynK.Fabry,chiefjudgeoftheSaultSte.Marie(Mich.)TribeofChippewaIndians;andBetsyHuggett,executivedirectoroftheSaultSte.Marie,Mich.-basedDianePepplerResourceCenterservingdomesticviolenceandsexualassaultsurvivors

• ExhibitatLSSULibrary’sArtGallery,Monday,Nov.2-Saturday,Nov.28.Hours:Mon.-Thurs.8:30AM-midnight;Fri.8:30AMto9PM;Sat.10AMto9PM;Sun.10AMtomidnight.
  • “TheCulturalSignificanceandHistoryoftheJingleDress,”adisplayabouttheorigins,components,andtraditionsofadistinctivetypeofNativeAmericanwomen’soutfit—whosesoundofitsconessignalsthespiritstocarryhealingprayerstotheCreator—curatedbyTomanthaSylvester,amemberoftheSaultSte.Marie(Mich.)TribeofChippewaIndians,anda2019LSSUalumnaandfineartsmajor

“TheNEABigReadasaconceptandourprogrammingaroundLouiseErdrich’scelebratednovel,TheRoundHouse,embodymanyLSSUcorevalues:diversity,opportunity,ethicsandvaluesinthepursuitoftruth,andexcellenceandrelevanceinteachingandlearning,”saidLSSUPresidentDr.RodneyS.Hanley.“Thisliteraryandmultidisciplinaryeventalsopromotesseveralpillarsinourstrategicplan,suchascommunitypartnershipsandengagement,plustheaforementioneddiversity,inclusion,andbelonging;andstudentlearninganddevelopment.”

Since2006,theNEAhasfundedmorethan1,600NEABigReadprograms,allocating$22-plusmillioncumulatively.Morethan5.7millionAmericanshaveattendedanNEABigRead,approximately91,000volunteershaveparticipatedatthelocallevel,and39,000communityorganizationshavepartneredtomaketheendeavorspossible.FormoreinformationabouttheNEABigRead,includingbookandauthorinformation,podcasts,andvideos,visitarts.gov/neabigread.

“Wehavebecomeevenmoreawarethisyearoftheimportantwaystheartshelpusconnectwithothers,andhowtheybringmeaning,joy,andcomforttoourlives,”saidNEAChairmanMaryAnneCarter.“BybringingtheNEABigReadtoLakeSuperiorStateUniversity,wewillprovideopportunitiesfordeepdiscussionandwaystohelpusbetterunderstandoneanother.”

TorrieAllen,president&CEOofArtsMidwest,added,“Formorethan14yearsthisnationalefforthasinvestedincommunitiesastheygathertodiscussthestoriesandideasthatconnectustooneanother.”