The American Indian Student Alliance (AISA) will kick off 2013 American Indian Heritage Week April 8.
Heritage Week is an annual celebration of culture and history that includes a variety of performances, lectures and workshops. For the first time, AISA has partnered with Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy to plan a writing symposium that celebrates diversity through connections to the oral traditions of storytelling.
Some events, such as the silent auction, will benefit the Che’nshish Scholarship, which provides tuition assistance for enrolled tribal members and descendants attending NIC. Thus far, the American Indian Student Alliance has raised around $60,000 for the scholarship fund.
Evanlene Melting Tallow, AISA adviser, said she hopes the weeklong celebration will help students and community members “become more aware of the very rich culture of the tribes surrounding them.”
“There isn’t another event like this in this region,” Melting Tallow said. “I think it showcases a lot of the tribes in this area. It gives you an opportunity to partake of the culture and understand the history. It’s past, present and future.”
Monday: Storytelling with Marie Poirier will be at 10:00 a.m. in the Driftwood Bay Room of the SUB. The Shooting Star Dancers will perform at 11:45 a.m., and Quanah Matheson will give a presentation on Coeur d’Alene Tribal history at 1:15 p.m.
Tuesday: A silent auction benefitting the Che’nshish Scholarship will be in the Driftwood Bay Room from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arts and crafts vendors will showcase and sell their work in the SUB. Art demonstrations—including basket weaving, clay art and acrylic on canvas—will happen through the day, from 10:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Wednesday: The Inter-Tribal Food Feast will be 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the SUB. $6 will buy a lunch of salmon, fry bread, corn and a huckleberry desert. Only 150 plates are available. Hoop dancers from the Tangled Roots Dance Studio will perform at 12:30 p.m., and Norma Peone will teach stick game at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday: Musician Jack Gladstone and the Haida Heritage Dance Group will perform at the Inter-Tribal Show, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in Boswell Hall. Tickets are $5. Children 12 and under get in free, as do NIC students with student ID.
Friday: A free Native American craft workshop for families will be in the SUB from 6:30-9:00 p.m. Free pizza and refreshments will be provided. Coeur d’Alene tribal members Amanda Johnson and Sherry Mays will present a live performance of the story “Rainbow Crow Saves the World” at 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: The writing symposium “A Celebration of Diversity Through Writing” will be from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Professional writers and educators will speak at the symposium. Writers of all ages and abilities are welcome. Keynote speaker Evanlene Melting Tallow will speak on enculturation—storytelling handed down through generations. Registration costs $7.50 for NIC students and $25 for community members. Registration ends March 27.