The 1st Wednesday Lecture series, a collaboration between the Vermont Humanities Council and Vermont public libraries continues online via Zoom with an exploration, by historian Damian Costello, of the life of the man behind the book Black Elk Speaks. Black Elk lived from 1863 to 1950, and helped to heal his native community. His story is especially inspiring during this time of deep societal divisions. Nicholas Black Elk's Lakota philosophy can help us see the natural world as a unified whole, and his continued hope amidst great tragedy can inform how we approach contemporary crises.

Damian Costello received his PhD in theological studies from the University of Dayton and specializes in the intersection of Catholic theology, Indigenous spiritual traditions, and colonial history. He is an international expert on the life and legacy of Nicholas Black Elk and the author of Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism. Costello's work is informed by five years of ethnographic work on the Navajo Nation.

The virtual talk will be presented at 7 pm Wednesday, December 2nd, with recordings of the event subsequently available on the VHC Facebook and YouTube channel. Register for the live event, which includes an opportunity for questions and answers by attendees, at https://vthumanities.wufoo.com/forms/register-for-brattleboro-first-wednesdays/ The Vermont Humanities Council's First Wednesdays series is held every month from October through May in nine communities statewide, featuring speakers of national and regional renown. The statewide underwriter for the First Wednesdays 2020-2012 series is the Institute of Museum & Library Services through the Vermont Department of Libraries. Brooks Memorial Library programs are sponsored by the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library and this talk is underwritten by the Peter Gilbert Endowment Fund.

For more information, contact Brooks Memorial Library at 802.254.5290 or visit www.brookslibraryvt.org.

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