Settler Colonial Choreography and the Divided Body: Performing Masculinities Through the Switch Dance at a Native American Prison Powwow

The Native American Studies Program welcomes Dr. Tria Blu Wakpa, a rising scholar whose innovative work combines Native American Studies and Dance Studies. Wakpa is a scholar and practitioner of Indigenous contemporary dance, North American Hand Talk (Indigenous sign language), martial arts, and yoga. Her research combines community-based, Indigenous and feminist methodologies with critical race theories to examine the politics and practices of dance and embodiment historically and contemporarily in educational and carceral institutions for Indigenous peoples. Her work has been published in The American Indian Culture and Research Journal and Dance Research Journal. Dr. Wakpa is also the co-founder and co-editor of the academic journal Race & Yoga and a former UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow. We invite you to partner with us in supporting this rising scholar and connecting students and the university publics to learn about her current work.