Book Presentation: Paul Hillmer & Ryan Bean In-Person
Paul Hillmer, Professor of History at Concordia University-St. Paul and Ryan Bean, Reference & Outreach Archivist for the Kautz Family YMCA Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries will discuss their new book, Inappropriation: The Contested Legacy of Y-Indian Guides. Co-founded by Harold Keltner, a St. Louis, Missouri YMCA secretary and Joe Friday, a member of and leader in the Canadian Ojibwe first nation, Y-Indian Guides encouraged the formation of strong bonds between fathers and sons (and later daughters, too) through role-playing and fun activities. Hundreds of thousands of families enjoyed the closer relationships wrought by this program. While reviewing these benefits, Hillmer and Bean will also dissect the problematic nature of Indian Guides’ methods and its reinforcement of harmful stereotypes that ultimately caused harm to Indigenous communities.
More information about the book is available here:
https://upress.missouri.edu/9780826222794/inappropriation/