32nd Annual Peace Tree Ceremony
November 6, at 11:30am EST

WVU Peace Tree, outside Martin Hall, downtown WVU Campus*

Guest of Honor: Kody Grant (Isleta Pueblo/Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)

Grant is a seasoned American Indian cultural and historical interpreter whose work focuses on building bridges of understanding. He indicates that he is “passionate about fostering confidence within museums, organizations, and institutions to engage with contemporary American Indian professionals and experts, while advocating for best practices in the care and interpretation of Indigenous knowledge.” Grant now serves as the inaugural Tribal Liaison for the University of Virginia.

The annual Peace Tree Ceremony is a highlight of the academic year. The university community welcomes Morgantown-area residents and members of the local Native American communities to campus to join in this important tradition.

*(Rain location the Gluck Theater, WVU Mountainlair Student Union)

The Peace Tree Ceremony & Lecture are provided with support from the WVU Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Public Lecture with Kody Grant
November 6, at 5:00pm EST

Gluck Theater, WVU Mountainlair Student Union

Smiling male with shaved head wearing a suit jacket and plaid tie

Kody Grant, Isleta Pueblo/Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

In his talk, “Trading Jackets: Historical Perspectives to Modern Connections,” Grant will reflect on his work in cultural and museum education and how this work has influenced his approach to understanding. This conversation relates to the ways that American Indian societies have evolved under changing circumstances and how individuals have come to both understand themselves and view their modern communities, which are continuously being reinvigorated.

Man with short hair and dark glasses wearing a suit jacket and a button down shirt

Introduction by WVU Alumni Travis Henline

WVU Public History and NAS alum Travis Henline, Curator of Indigenous History & Culture for the Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, will participate in the Peace Tree Ceremony and provide the formal introduction to our speaker.

About the WVU Peace Tree

By Anna M. Schein, WVU Librarian, author and Native American Studies Committee Member

The WVU Peace Tree was planted on September 12, 1992 to commemorate the University's commitment to the rediscovery of America's Indian heritage. Chief Leon Shenandoah, Tadodaho (Presiding Moderator) of the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, and Chippewa Chief Robert TallTree, also a musician, artisan and storyteller, were invited to plant and bless the tree. On August 8, 1996, vandals cut down the Peace Tree. A second Peace Tree, which still stands today, was planted by Mohawk Chief Jake Swamp on October 19, 1996.

The Peace Tree Tradition

According to Haudenosaunee oral tradition, the Creator sent a Peacemaker to unite the warring Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Mohawk and Onondaga Nations by planting the original Tree of Peace at Onondaga ca. 1000 A.D. The Tree marked the formation of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy.

As told by Chief Jake Swamp, when the Tree was planted, the Peacemaker told the first leaders:

This will be the symbol that we will use.
The white pine
will be the symbol of peace.
Now the greenery of this tree
will represent the peace you have agreed to.

Every time you look at this tree
and its greenery,
you will be reminded of this peace you agreed to
because this tree
never changes color the year round,
it’s always green,
so shall be your peace.

To learn more about the meaning and history of the Peace Tree, read Paul Wallace’s White Roots of Peace (Clear Light Publishing, April 1994).

View Past Peace Tree Ceremonies

Explore this archive of past peace tree ceremonies:

WVU Peace Tree Ceremony

Wednesday, November 6, 2024, 11:30am
at the WVU Peace Tree outside of Martin Hall

With guest of honor Kody Grant (Pueblo of Isleta/Eastern Band of Cherokee) — public lecture to follow at 5pm in the Gluck Theater, WVU Mountainlair Student Union