Kim Sigafus: “Please Meet Singing Bird" at the Rock Island Public Library Downtown Branch -- August 27.
Thursday, August 27, 1 p.m.
Rock Island Public Library Downtown Branch, 401 19th Street, Rock Island IL
You’ve likely heard about the great Native American warrior Black Hawk who made the Rock Island area his home. On August 27, the Rock Island Public Library's Downtown Branch invites you to Please Meet Singing Bird, Black Hawk's less-memorialized wife whose life story is the subject of this presentation by Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Kim Sigafus.
An Ojibwa author whose family is from the White Earth Reservation in northwest Minnesota, Sigafus will be at the Rock Island library to fill you in on Singing Bird’s life as a Native American wife and mother, exploring what it was like to be courted, to marry a native brave, and to raise their children. In addition, Sigafus will have with her items Native women of the period would have used. Through her Please Meet Singing Bird program, the presenter will sing, drum, and fashion dream catchers and Talking Feathers. The audience, meanwhile, will be able to pick up and view the items, learn Native language and music, and even try their skill with the drum in this interactive experience. Following the presentation, there will be time allowed for a Q&A session.
In her biography at KimberlySigafus.com, the presenter states: “I'm an internationally-published award-winning Ojibwa author and speaker. The creative writing side of me includes 10 years of newspaper and photo-journalistic work. The genres I work in include Native American children's picture books, YA fiction, plays, non-fiction, and fiction writing. A hybrid author, I am traditionally published and indie-published. I have presented at many different venues, and travel frequently throughout the Midwest doing book signings and Native American programs. Musical theater is a big part of my life. I've been a lyricist, singer, actor, and director for many years, and in my quiet time I make dream catchers, and drum and sing.
“Married to Andy, we have four children and nine grandchildren. We live in Freeport, Illinois. with our two dogs, both Jack Russell mixes, Animosh and Miika. Animosh means, 'dog' in Ojibwa. She's affectionately known as 'Ani.' (Anee). 'Miika' (Meeka) means "beautiful" in Ojibwa. Cats Luna, Cozette, and Inde, 'my heart' in Ojibwa, help make up our very lively household.”
Kim Sigafus will present Please Meet Singing Bird at the Rock Island Public Library's Downtown Branch on August 27, participation in the 1 p.m. program is free, and more information is available by calling (309)732-7323 and visiting RockIslandLibrary.org.
