Illinois Valley Community College commemorates Native American Heritage Month with a visit from speaker Gerald Savage.
On Thursday, Nov. 6 at noon, in the Student Life Space, Savage, an IVCC Alum will speak on the topic of Ho-Chunk Native Americans, an Illinois Indigenous Tribe.
From the history of the tribe to the reintroduction of his family into Illinois, this educational program welcomes every person, regardless of age and ethnicity, to engage in Ho-Chunk tribals customs and ways.
This presentation is personal to Savage as his formal native name is Ho-Chunk Ska Ga (White Winnebago), and he is a tribal elder with the Ho-Chunk Nation.
Savage’s grandparents, who were Chief Walks with the Wind and Princess Stands on a Cloud, relocated to Illinois in 1935 after being resettled out of state.
Today, Savage carries on this tradition of educating people about the Ho-Chunk tribe, from a Native perspective.
The Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Speaker’s, and Illinois America 250 Commissioner’s, presentation is sponsored by IVCC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.