Dr. Peterson will share over 30 years of experiences researching the Sami and other indigenous peoples’ cultures including Native American, and Inuits.  He will read excerpts of texts written by two leading Sami cultural figures – Nils Aslak Valkeapää and Inger-Mari Aikio-Arianaick.  The history and culture of the Sami people will be discussed, including current day issues facing indigenous people around the world.

Charles Peterson grew up in Iowa, first on a small farm in central Iowa, and then in the small town of Mason City.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Park College, a Master of Arts from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and a PhD from Northwestern University.

Most of his career he was on the faculty and staff at North Park University where he became Professor of Communication Arts, Executive Director of the Center for Scandinavian Studies, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

During his career he also lived in Sweden and Norway with his family where he taught at Södra Vätterbygdens Folkhögskola and Danvik Medieskole.  While teaching in Norway he began his study of Sami culture.  Dr. Peterson is the publisher of Nordic Studies Press, a consultant on Scandinavia topics, and a translator of Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish texts. 

This is a free event but please register so we know how many are coming. 
Feel free to purchase fika in the cafe and bring it in to the Gallery for the talk.