The Marshall University Amicus Curiae Lecture Series will hold its final lecture of the spring semester Thursday in the Marshall University Foundation Hall.

The lecture titled “If American Indians have rights in the United States, where did they come from? And what do they mean?” will begin 7 p.m.

The lecturer will be Frederick E. Hoxie, history professor and Swanlund professor of American Indian studies, from the University of Illinois.

The Amicus Curiae Lecture series is sponsored by the Marshall University Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy.

Director of the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy Patricia Proctor said Hoxie will be discussing the history made by American Indian leaders and activists, such as lawyers, diplomats, ambassadors, writers and politicians, who fought for recognition in the United States legal system.

“We all like to hear stories about interesting people and that’s what he is going to be talking about,” Proctor said. “Along with a very important part of our history as a country.”

Proctor said by students coming to the lecture, they can learn about an important aspect of our country’s past that still impacts the present.

Proctor said this year’s Amicus Curiae Lecture Series has tried to diversify the offerings to consider people, groups and ideas that have not been focused upon in the past.

Proctor said the Hoxie lecture will also go along with this theme.

“This is looking at an aspect of our history that we all know about generally, but that we don’t focus on, I think, enough,” Proctor said.

Amanda Gibson can be contacted at [email protected].