Lecture: Native American Diplomats at Versailles—300 Years of Franco-Indigenous Dialogue

To close out this year’s Festival de la Francophonie—and in partnership with the French Heritage Society and the French Heritage Corridor—the Alliance is honored to welcome representatives from the Peoria and Miami nations for a lecture and discussion exploring French-Indigenous relations, in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Native American diplomats’ visit to the court of Versailles.

Logan York, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, will give a presentation on the historic and contemporary relationship between France and the Indigenous nations of the Midwest. He’ll be joined in conversation by Burgundy Fletcher, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.

After the program, guests will enjoy a social reception where they’ll have the chance to continue the conversation with our speakers over complimentary refreshments.

Children’s activites will be available in the adjacent Salon throughout the program! Please indicate child ages when registering.

Doors at 6:00 pm. Program at 6:30. Please enter via 54 W Chicago Ave.

Logan and Burgundy are part of a historic initiative commemorating the 1725 diplomatic visit to France of several Native American chiefs. The project has produced an exhibition that opened this past fall at the Palace of Versailles, entitled 1725: Des alliés amérindiens à la cour de Louis XV (1725: Native American Allies at the Court of Louis XV). The exhibition, on display through early Mary, features sevaral minohsayaki (painted hide robes) created more than 300 years ago by Indigenous communities.

About the Speakers

Logan York is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and a citizen of the Tribe. Growing up in Kansas and Missouri, Logan regularly attended tribal events, stomp dances, and language camps. He has a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Anthropology with minors in History and Archaeology. Logan came to work for the Tribe in April of 2022 after previously working for Rebecca Hawkins, the consulting archaeologist for the Miami Tribe. As THPO, he is part of the Cultural Resources Office team that is located in the Miami ancestral homelands.

Photo credit: Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma

Burgundy Fletcher is a citizen of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and serves as the Tribe’s Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO). She has a background in Native American studies and cultural interpretation.

About the Festival

Festival de la Francophonie is the Alliance Française de Chicago’s annual flagship festival, featuring a vibrant lineup of free public programs over the course of the month of March—the official Mois de la Francophonie—celebrating the world’s French-speaking cultures. AF-Chicago is honored to partner with cultural organizations and government institutions across the city to offer high-quality cultural experiences and a forum where people of all ages and backgrounds can discover and connect with the cultures, customs, and language of the Francophone world, to promote lifelong learning and cultural understanding. View the full festival line-up here.

Getting Here

The Alliance Française de Chicago is one block from the CTA Red line stop at Chicago Ave. Best bus routes are the 22 on Clark and the 66 on Chicago Ave. A Divvy station is located in front of the 54 W Chicago Ave entrance.

Parking Information

$12 for 12 hours at InterPark at 100 W Chestnut St. Validation is available at reception.

Please be advised that students, members, and attendees at cultural events or programs may be photographed, and these images may be used for marketing purposes.