UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lyla June Johnston, an Indigenous musician, scholar and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne), and European lineages, will delve into the lessons of ancient native food systems in an upcoming public talk.
The free talk is open to both campus and community members and will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. in the HUB Flex Theater or via Zoom. A reception and refreshments will follow the talk, providing an exciting opportunity to honor history and traditional knowledge during Native American Heritage Month.
Those attending the event in person can park at the HUB Parking Deck at an hourly rate, while those joining via Zoom can register online.
Johnston, known for her multi-genre presentation style that merges art, culture and ecology, will highlight how humanity can rediscover its role as a keystone species by reconnecting with intuitive wisdom.
Throughout her career, Johnston has used her unique presentation style to inspire personal, collective and ecological healing globally. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the PEO Scholar Award, the Lives of Commitment Award, and multiple writing and poetry recognitions. An excerpt from her poem “Indigenomics” emphasizes the universal connection to the Earth and the importance of preserving that connection.
The event is being hosted by the Plant Science department, the Sustainable Food Systems Network, and the Indigenous Peoples Student Association. Kirsten Lloyd, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and event coordinator, hopes that Johnston’s message of hope and understanding will resonate with the State College community.
“Lyla deeply understands how humans can both create beauty and cause harm — to each other and to nature — as we are all one,” Lloyd said. “She’s unique in that she knows the ways of both modern and ancient cultures. These intuitive ways of knowing create relationships that transcend the objective, materialistic way that we view the world in Western thinking.”
Lloyd also highlighted Johnston’s use of formal scholarship to document the intuitive and scientific ways Indigenous peoples have shaped living systems, emphasizing how this wisdom can guide us to a more beautiful and sustainable way of being, Lloyd said.
About the Sustainable Food Systems Network at Penn State
The Sustainable Food Systems Network at Penn State includes the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, Student Farm Club, Course-Client Collaborations, and the affiliated inter-college Food Systems Minor program. The program aims to develop students’ knowledge about sustainable agriculture practices, offering hands-on learning opportunities and positively contributing to the community.
