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MARQUETTE -- Northern Michigan University has announced this year’s Indigenous Perspectives Symposium on Medicines, a one-day event dedicated to exploring the traditions, significance and future of Indigenous approaches to healing and wellbeing.
The symposium will be held on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 at NMU’s Northern Center in Marquette.
This year's symposium aims to bring together Indigenous leaders, elders, knowledge holders, practitioners, academics and community members to share insights on topics ranging from traditional medicinal plants and healing practices to Indigenous health education and applied seventh-generation thinking. Through a series of presentations, workshops, and communal gatherings, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the vital connection between medicine, land, language and spirit in Indigenous communities.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
• Featured Performer: Award Winning Artist Tony Duncan -- Live flute and hoop dance performance – Kick off the Indigenous Perspectives Symposium with a performance by Tony Duncan, celebrated Native American flutist and five-time World Champion hoop dancer of Apache, Arikara, Hidatsa and Mandan heritage. Drawing on his Native American heritage, Duncan creates a resonance with the soft, soothing melodies of the Apache cane flute and the cedar flute.
• Featured Keynote: Dr. Evan Adams, physician and actor known for his role in “Smoke Signals,” delivers the symposium’s keynote address at 5 p.m.
• Dr. Evan Tlesla Adams is a Coast Salish physician and actor from Tla'amin First Nation near Powell River, B.C., Canada. Best known for his role as Thomas Builds-The- Fire in the Miramax film “Smoke Signals.” He completed his medical doctorate at the University of Calgary and a residency in the Aboriginal Family Practice program at UBC in Vancouver, Canada. He was a recent Harkness Fellow at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is currently the Assessment Lead for the National Circle for Indigenous Medical Education in Canada.
• Presentations by Indigenous Knowledge Holders: Addresses on topics such as: woodland medicinal teas and salves, Indigenous medicinal plant identification, healing circles, physical activity and food as medicine and specialists in Indigenous health practice and education.
• Workshops and panels: Sessions on topics such as the language of Indigenous medicines, traditional ecological knowledge, land-based learning, and outdoor and hands-on programming reflecting this year’s later September, land-focused date.
• Culinary Experience: An evening dinner inspired by the Decolonizing Diet project, offering attendees a chance to experience food as medicine firsthand.
NMU is honored to host this important event and provide a platform for Indigenous voices to lead this vital conversation, in addition to proudly celebrating the Center for Native American Studies 30th year!
The symposium portion occurring from noon-5 p.m. is free and open to the public, with dinner available afterward for a fee ($5 - students, $20 - faculty/staff, $25 general admission). Organizers encourage members of native communities, students, scholars and journalists to attend. This is an opportunity to learn directly from those whose knowledge has sustained Indigenous communities for millennia.