Talks slated on politics, food, health on Thursdays at Heard Museum

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Talks slated on politics, food, health CENTRAL PHOENIX - The Heard Museum is hosting a series of Native American speakers in January and February. The lectures, which are free and open to the public, will cover local and national issues affecting native people. They begin at 6 p.m. in the Heard's Steele Auditorium, 2301 N. Central Ave. • Jan. 6: Native Foods: Reclaiming American Indian Health Native American health issues and diet changes, which have affected contemporary lifestyles. Learn how native chefs are reintroducing indigenous foods through creative cuisines. Speakers: Don Warren, M.D., Lakota Sioux; Nolan Johnson, Tohono O'odham; Sandy Garcia, San Juan Pueblo; Nephi Craig, Apache/Navajo. • Jan. 20: American Indians in Arizona Politics Meet Native Americans who are Arizona politicians and examine the unrecognized history of Native Americans entering state politics and their influences on the greater population of Arizona. Speakers: Arthur Hubbard Sr., Navajo; and Jack Jackson Sr., Navajo, both former state senators. • Feb. 10: Arizona Indian Voting Rights: The Challenge See what challenges Native Americans have experienced in being recognized as U.S. citizens and receiving the right to vote in their own country. Speakers: Raphael Bear, president, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation; John Lewis, director, InterTribal Council of Arizona. Information: (602) 252-8848 or www.heard.org.