Cornell Indigenous Leader to Share Haudenosaunee Teachings at MCLA

NORTH ADAMS — Wahieñhawi “Hawi” Hall, assistant director of Counseling and Psychological Services and Community Liaison for Indigenous Students at Cornell Health, will present “Nature, Well-being, and Indigenous Perspectives on the Interconnectedness of People and Creation” as part of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ Green Living Seminar Series on Wednesday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m.

An Indigenous Mohawk and Cherokee woman raised within the Onondaga Nation in New York, Hall will share Haudenosaunee perspectives on nurturing relationships with the natural world through reciprocity, interdependence, and stewardship. Her presentation will explore what the Haudenosaunee have identified as their ‘original instructions’ regarding the role of Indigenous peoples as part of creation, and offer insights into adopting a practice of thanksgiving.

Hall, a licensed clinical social worker, combines her deep cultural connections and lived experiences within an Indigenous community with her professional expertise as a mental health provider. She is committed to promoting decolonization in systems, equity, and inclusion for historically marginalized groups. Central to her work is the foundational belief that one’s relationship to the natural world is one of reciprocity, interdependence, and stewardship.

The presentation will be delivered remotely, with in-person viewing at MCLA. The event is free and open to the public.

MCLA’s Green Living Seminar Series brings environmental experts to campus throughout the academic year to engage students and community members in conversations about sustainability, climate change, and ecological responsibility. All presentations take place Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in MCLA’s Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121, and will be recorded as podcasts available at mcla.edu/greenliving. For more information, contact Elena Traister at elena.traister@mcla.edu or (413) 662-5303.