SU FYI

1. Stockbridge Cultural Council 2023 Community Survey

The Stockbridge Cultural Council is our local member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Our mission is to promote excellence, education, diversity, and inclusion in the arts, humanities, and sciences to foster a rich cultural life for Stockbridge residents and to contribute to the vitality of our local economy. Annually, our council receives funding from MCC and the Town of Stockbridge to award grants that address cultural needs in our community.

Please participate in our survey. The results will help inform the council's funding priorities. Click: https://forms.gle/bcEpWDxsNSyYT8759

2. A Message from League of Women Voters (LWV)

On Augst 6, The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 passed. 58 years later, in 2013, Shelby v. Holder gutted many of the VRA protections. To this day the VRA must be defended so the message is heard that every person has the right to participate in our democracy. Join this LWV — a nonpartisan group that that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue.

3. From Sara Regensburger Program Coordinator, Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Tribal Historic Preservation Extension Office

Good day, and I hope you have had a lovely summer so far!

As you may or may not have heard, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, the indigenous peoples of the Berkshires, opened a new exhibit at the Mission House in Stockbridge, MA this spring. This exhibit is titled "Our Lands, Our Home, Our Heart / Nda'keenã , Weekeyaak , Nda'anã" and goes over Mohican history and culture, particularly in the town of Stockbridge and their many travels to their current reservation lands in Wisconsin. As part of this exhibit, there is a five-person speaker series that will begin on September 23rd and ends on November 18th.

The registration links for this speaker series are now open! We would appreciate it if you could either spread the word and the registration links or publicize the event either on your social media pages or email chains. Here is an example of what you might say: "Registration is now open for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community's Fall Speaker Series! As part of their homelands exhibit "Our Lands, Our Home, Our Heart / Nda'keenã, Weekeyaak, Nda'anã," co-sponsored by The Trustees of Reservations, Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, and The Clark Art Institute, this series brings members of the Tribe out to Stockbridge, MA to speak on issues relevant to the Mohican community of today. This is a free event, but space is limited, so register now to reserve your spot!" The link to the registration page is here: https://mohican.com/community-led-workshop-series/

Photo: Lionel Delevingne