UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Indigenous Peoples' Student Association, in coordination with the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, the Center for the Performing Arts, University Libraries and Educational Equity, is offering events at Penn State's University Park campus in recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day 2026, to be held this year on Monday, Oct. 12. In addition, the Department of Geography will offer a talk.
Penn State is committed to building a community of belonging for all. Events and programs are open to all regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, or any other protected class.
The Indigenous Peoples’ Student Association (IPSA) at Penn State is a vibrant community comprising Indigenous students, allies, faculty and staff. Its primary commitment is to foster the academic success of Indigenous students by advancing awareness, recruitment, retention, and organizing social and cultural activities. IPSA is dedicated to addressing the diverse needs of the broader Indigenous community by actively supporting initiatives related to issues in American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and other Indigenous communities. Through its collective efforts, IPSA strives to create an inclusive and supportive environment that empowers Indigenous voices and promotes cultural understanding.
Penn State's Acknowledgement of Land was developed in collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples' Student Association and the Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance:
The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land-grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.
Events schedule
Monday, Oct. 12
Resistance Day Rally — Noon-1 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center, Monumental Staircase.
James and Ernie Navajo Comedy Show: Laugh Now, Cry Later — 5-6 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center, Lion's Lair.
Joyfull Feast with Stuart James — 6-8 p.m., HUB-Robeson Center, Alumni Hall. Registration for the Joyfull Feast is required.
Tuesday, Oct. 13
"The Life and Times of a Shy Rez Boy" — 1 p.m., Flex Theater
Songwriting Workshop with Stuart James — Noon, Dewey Room, Pattee and Paterno Library.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
"Humor-Healing: A Journal of Empowerment and Healing" — 3-4 p.m., Foster Auditorium, Pattee and Paterno Library.
Friday, Oct. 23
Talk: “Indigenous Women and Violence: Thinking Beyond Settler Capitalism" — Noon in Foster Auditorium at Penn State University Park and via Zoom.
Shannon Speed, Paula Gunn Allen Chair and professor of American Indian studies, gender studies and anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), will deliver the Penn State Department of Geography’s annual E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Endowed Lecture. Her talk will examine the persistent nature of violence against Native women and discuss how combining a human rights framework with strengthened tribal sovereignty may help combat that violence and hold settler states accountable. Read more here about the Oct. 23 lecture.