Don Bartlette, nationally known author and inspirational speaker, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the UND Memorial Union Lecture Bowl as part of the annual UND Indian Education Conference during UND Time Out and Wacipi Week.
Bartlette's presentation, called "Macaroni at Midnight," describes his life as an American Indian child growing up in the 1940s in North Dakota with severe speech and physical handicaps in an environment of poverty and hunger, child abuse, family violence, racism and cruelty, a news release said.
But his presentation is more than the story of a life that seemed doomed to unending hate, violence and abuse. His story shows how the love of one person brought hope to a seemingly hopeless situation and describes his subsequent accomplishments as an educator, professional social worker, counselor, advocate for the handicapped, social justice champion and inspirational public speaker.
Bartlette has traveled extensively to speak throughout the U.S. and Canada sharing his testimony for more than 30 years. Married to a former special education teacher, he and his wife are the parents of seven daughters and one son and have been foster parents to special needs kids. His presentation has been shared more than 5,000 times before local, state, national and international groups and conferences and has been featured internationally on radio and film.
Other Time Out Week speakers and presentations: John Hoover, author of "The Bullying Suicide Nexus," who will present at 10 a.m. Friday in the UND Memorial Union Lecture Bowl, and Wayne Fox, hoop dancer, who will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday in the UND Memorial Union Lecture Bowl just before Bartlette's presentation.
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Time Out and Wacipi, which continues at UND through Sunday, are planned and implemented by the UND Indian Studies Association and the UND Indian Association, both student organizations.
All Time Out events are free. Admission is charged to Wacipi. A full schedule is published on Page A2.
