Rebecca Nagle to speak on “Justice on Native Land” at Luther College’s 2024 Farwell Distinguished Lecture

Rebecca Nagle

Rebecca Nagle will speak about “Justice on Native Land” for Luther College’s annual Farwell Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24. Author of the new book By the Fire We Carry (release date Sept. 10), Nagle is an award-winning writer, podcaster, advocate and citizen of the Cherokee Nation. The evening will be moderated by Andrew Hageman, associate professor of English and director of Luther’s Center for Ethics and Public Engagement.

Nagle’s writing about Native representation and tribal sovereignty has been featured in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, and more. As the host of the chart-topping podcast This Land, Nagle tells the story of a Supreme Court case about tribal land in Oklahoma, the small-town murder that started it, and the surprising connection to her own family history. In This Land‘s second season, Nagle takes listeners through the 40-year history of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the federal lawsuit, Brackeen v. Haaland.

In addition to her work toward Native American representation, Nagle lends her voice to fighting violence against women. She is the co-founder of FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, and spearheaded The Monument Quilt, a collection of over 3,000 stories by survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, written, painted and stitched onto red fabric. 

From Joplin, Missouri, she currently lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she works for her tribe on language revitalization.

The Farwell Distinguished Lecture will be held in the Center for Faith and Life at Luther College, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, and is free and open to the public. By the Fire We Carry will be available for purchase in the lobby before and after the presentation; it is currently in stock in the Luther Book Shop.

The Elwin D. and Helen Farwell Lecture Endowment

The Elwin D. and Helen Farwell Distinguished Lecture Series Endowment was established in 1981 in recognition of the contributions the Farwells made to the Luther community. Elwin D. Farwell was president of Luther College 1963–1981.