The McCracken County Public Library is presenting a talk Thursday in recognition of Native American Heritage Month.
Tressa Brown – the coordinator for the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission – has worked for the past 25 years to provide native American educational programming for schools and the public. She is presenting a program called “American Indians Myths and Stereotypes” on Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
Brown said the two primary missions of the commission to preserve Native American heritage sites – like the Wickliffe Mounds in Ballard County – and culture in the state and educate the public about Native American history.
She hopes to dispel many stereotypes and myths surrounding Native Americans.
“There are myths specifically about Kentucky's native history that we have been trying to debunk for 20 years. The origin of the stereotypes that most people are familiar with … the tepee dwelling, Buffalo chasing, horse riding kind of native people: you see [that] especially in the early western television and film, like Gunsmoke and Bonanza,” she said. “There are traceable origins of where that came from and how it was developed over time. So we'll look at that, as well as speak to some of the specific stereotypes and myths very tenacious here in Kentucky.”
