Learning for All: Challenges and Resilience

Learning for All: Challenges and Resilience
November 8 | 5:30-6:30pm+ (Lecture with Q & A following) | Zoom 

Instructor: Professor Jacob Jurss

In June 2023, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case Haaland v. Brackeen, defending the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). On the surface, this case appeared to be concerned with the protection of Indigenous children. However, more insidiously, the case also turned on the issue of tribal sovereignty and had the potential to severely limit the sovereignty of tribal nations. Three sessions hosted by Cook County Higher Education will explore the settler colonial origins of United States federal Indian policy, with a focus on Ojibwe relations in the Great Lakes. These sessions will delve into the social, political, and institutional structures that resulted from this history.

This session and series are open to the community (and beyond).

Join Dr. Jacob Jurss as he guides us through the intricate history of forced assimilation and genocidal policies, spanning from the early 20th century to the present day. Topics will encompass the painful legacy of boarding schools, the trauma of family separations, the influence of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the urgent concerns surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous women, and the ongoing efforts of tribes to maintain their cultural identity, sovereignty, and traditions in the face of historical and contemporary challenges.

Additional Session Dates:

• October 4: Federal Indian Law Foundations
• October 25: Historical Turning Points

Biography: Dr. Jacob Jurss is a scholar of early American history and Indigenous treaty rights. He has taught at the University of Minnesota, Morris, Metropolitan State University, University of St. Thomas, and Macalester College, and is currently a faculty member at Century Community College. His research examines intertribal relations between the Ojibwe and Dakota and how those relations affected tribal diplomatic relations with the United States. He resides in Saint Paul with his wife and son, who are White Earth Ojibwe descendants.