Published: October 30, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga 

Please join the SJSU iSchool as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month with our 3rd annual symposium, featuring speakers from the National Museum of the American Indian, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).

Join us on Friday, November 3, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time, for our free online symposium: 

“Honoring the Past & Planning for the Future: Indigenous Perspectives on Library and Information Sciences”

Register here for this free event

Meet Our Keynote Speakers

Halena Kapuni-Reynolds: Associate Curator of Native Hawaiian History and Culture, National Museum of the American Indian

Halena Kapuni-Reynolds (Kanaka ʻŌiwi/Native Hawaiian) is the Associate Curator of Native Hawaiian History and Culture at the National Museum of the American Indian. He holds a B.A. in anthropology and Hawaiian studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (2013) and an M.A. in anthropology with a focus on Museum and Heritage Studies from the University of Denver (2015). Halena’s academic work and scholarship reflect his commitment to serving his community, Hawaiʻi’s museum profession, and the fields of museum anthropology and Indigenous studies. Most recently, he assisted in the development and implementation of Weaving a Net(work) of Care: A Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Museum Institute, a museological training program funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Jennifer Himmelreich: Senior Program Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

Jennifer Himmelreich is a senior program officer at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Rooted in and raised on the Navajo Nation in northwest New Mexico, she began working at the local public library to support herself as she completed her undergraduate degree at Fort Lewis College. Jennifer continued working in libraries and museums, developing a commitment to centering cultural memory on Native American, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian ways of being and doing. Her IMLS portfolio includes grant programs that provide dynamic community engagement, innovative programming/preservation work, and support access to vital services across Indigenous communities in America.

Richard Sneed: 28th Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Richard G. Sneed life’s work has been one of public service advocating for youth, community building, and cultural preservation. The son of a businessman and former councilmember, he knows that hard work and a community-centered focus enable collective opportunity. In this vein, he has worked throughout his career to ensure that Cherokee people have equitable access to quality education and can put these skills to work in a community they can be proud of. During his time in office, Chief Sneed has successfully passed legislation that enhanced transparency, accountability, and economic opportunities for the EBCI. He believes in the unrestricted potential of the Eastern Band and its ability to sustainably meet the needs of its people. By investing in a long-range vision that responsibly balances resources with the needs of the Cherokee people, Principal Chief Richard Sneed is committed to ensuring that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians continues to thrive for generations to come.