The Lake Oswego Reads program is off and running in April with a calendar full of free activities to educate, enlighten and entertain you. This year’s book selection, The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson spans several generations as it follows a Dakhóta family’s struggle to preserve their way of life. Be sure to check out the complete schedule online but here are a few highlights:

Saturday, April 1 Kick-Off. Drop in at the library between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and enjoy an interactive loom activity, a beautiful sound bath of Native American flute music, inspirational stories of connection with Jan Michael Looking Wolf, a presentation on Indigenous foods while sampling delicious salmon, a children’s book read aloud with Karen Kitchen (Osage Nation) and pick up your pair of free, brand-new undies to learn about healthy soil in partnership with Oswego Lake Watershed Partnership Council. 706 Fourth Street.

Monday, April 10. Professor Eva Guggemos peels back the curtain on Oregon’s own boarding school system’s legacy of trauma for Indigenous children. The Chemawa Indian School was one of the first residential schools in the nation and was designed to break students’ ties to Native cultures, languages and beliefs. Learn why the school was founded, what daily life was like for its students, the work that is being done to document deaths and burials at the school, and how we weave this reality into our understanding of our history and that of the Indigenous people.  Lake Oswego Library, 706 Fourth Street, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 13. Join a screening of the documentary, Blood Memory, a story of removal and return that documents America’s Indian Adoption Era during which one-third of children from tribal communities nationwide were displaced from their families as part of an assimilative movement. The film runs for 1 hour and 47 minutes. Discussion guides with in-depth background information will be made available to all attendees. The Springs Theater at Lake Oswego, 3900 Kruse Way Place, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 15. Weaving Workshop for Kids. Woven baskets served many an important purpose for Native American cultures with each tribe using different materials native to the area to make their own. The library will provide paper plates and a variety of yarns and fibers so children can create woven baskets of their own. For ages 5 and up. Lake Oswego Library, 706 Fourth Street, 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday, April 19. Westlake Oak Woodland and Native Plant Walking Tour. Join the Oswego Lake Watershed Council for a walking tour of local seeds, soils, flowers, and trees while connecting with the land and relearning local foods, plants, and medicines. On this family-friendly walking tour, you will observe wildlife, wildflowers, native flowering shrubs, snags, oak trees and more. You will also learn how this woodland fits into larger systems such as land tending, climate change, fire, active management, food systems, watershed health, upland successional processes, and partnerships. Pre-registration required. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 14903 Westlake Drive, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 20. Trivia Night. Join hosts, Jamie and Carissa, for another Thursday night of good old-fashioned brain games. You’ll be challenged by trivia questions related to The Seed Keeper and have a chance to win a Powell’s gift card! Pre-registration required. Online, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 22. Seed Art with Cathy Camper. Seed Art, or what is sometimes called “crop art,” is a branch of mosaic art that is alive and well and still going strong after two-three thousand years. Camper’s iconic seed art has won awards and her work has been featured in Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, by Amy Sedaris. Recommended for grades 3 and up. Lake Oswego Library, 706 Fourth St., 11 a.m.

Sunday, April 23. Gather: The Documentary Screening. Learn about the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide. Lake Oswego Theater and Café, 106 N. State Street, 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25. Author Diane Wilson will discuss her novel, The Seed Keeper, with fellow author, Robin Wall Kimmerer. Ways to Watch: Lakeridge High School Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. This event is free, but does require tickets which were given away last month. TVCTV will film the event for livestream and later viewing. Lakeridge High School Auditorium, 1235 Overlook Drive.

Keep track of your participation by completing the online passport and then enter the library’s drawing for a chance to win one of three gift baskets.  

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