The Central Region Humanities Center at Ohio University will host this year's Great Lakes American Studies Association's annual conference April 11-13 at the Ohio University Inn. The conference includes workshops, panels, presentations and performances relating to the theme, "Reading Region: Cultures, Histories, Literatures, Landscapes and Maps," with special attention on regional Native American Studies.

Peter Onuf, professor of history at the University of Virginia, will open the conference with the keynote address, "Regional Identity and Federal Politics in the Anebellum United States," April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium. Onuf specializes in the history of the early American republic.

Among the discussions and research presented will be the work of seven graduate and undergraduate students from Ohio University. They will speak on topics ranging from a panel discussion on teaching Native American history and culture to a presentation about the cultural contributions of female gospel music composers.

The Shki Bmaadzi Singers will give a free public performance April 13 at 4:30 p.m. at the Dairy Barn. The group's performance includes dancing, drumming and singing representative of the modern tradition of Pow Wows. The performers will explain the different dance styles and historical significance behind each one. Based in Chicago, Shki Bmaadzi introduces and teaches urban Native American youth about their Indian culture and identity.

Ohio University Associate Professor of English Thomas Scanlan and the Great Lakes American Studies Association executive board of scholars from Ohio, Michigan and Indiana developed the conference program. The conference is sponsored by the Great Lakes American Studies Association, Central Region Humanities Center, Ohio State University, Ohio University's colleges of arts and sciences, fine arts and communication, schools of telecommunication and interpersonal communication, departments of African-American studies, history and English.