November is Native American Heritage Month in Oregon Coast Town

Published 10/27/2011

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – All of November swells with a special kind of American pride in Lincoln City: Native American Heritage Month fills the Lincoln City Cultural Center with bundles of events, art exhibits, storytelling, dance and much more.

Native American Heritage Month started as American Indian Day back around 1912, created by a joint effort between the Boy Scouts of America and the Congress of the American Indian Association. It was first recognized by the state of New York in 1916, but it took until 1990 until the George H. W. Bush administration first decreed the entire month of November to be dedicated to the original people of this continent. These days it is regularly celebrated throughout the nation's schools, museums, historical sites and various other national institutions.

Today, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each November, by museums, schools, historical sites, tribal governments and cultural institutions across the country.

The Oregon Arts Commission has joined with the cultural center to present “Faces From the Land: A Photographic Journey Through Native America by Ben Marra” as part of the celebrations. Featured are large color portraits of pow wow dancers, from throughout the United States and Canada. Open Nov. 4-29 in the Chessman Gallery, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Monday. Free.

Native American Heritage Day happens Saturday, November 12, with an afternoon of Native culture, dance and food.

A Ben Marra photograph of a Shoshone woman.

From 1-3 p.m. it's the traditional salmon bake and fry bread station on the west lawn. Show and sale of modern Native American crafts. Native American Heritage Book Sale, with Bob’s Beach Books.

At 1 p.m. See the Turquoise Pride Drum Group, an inter-tribal dance and drum troupe led by James Thinn.

At 2 p.m. It's Baskets, Beads and Regalia: Cultural Treasures from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Chessman Gallery. Councilman and Cultural Director Robert Kentta will bring some of the artifacts from tribes' collection, and explain their importance to modern day tribal culture. Also that day: a presentation by CTSI member and cultural educator Selene Rilatos.

3 p.m. features “Native American Women: Three Who Changed History” with author Gloria Linkey, in the Chessman Gallery.

Friday, November 18 is Turtle Island Storyteller Esther Stutzman. History keeper and storyteller Esther Stutzman comes from Coos and Komemma Kalapuya tribes, and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. She tells Coos and Kalapuya stories, including creation stories of the time when animals and people could talk together. 7 p.m. in the auditorium and it's free.

Sunday, November 20. Painted Sky Northstar Dance Company. They travel the northwest and sometimes create artistic collaborations between Native and non-Native singers and dancers – with the belief that music has the power to inspire and unite people across cultures. 2 p.m. in the auditorium, free.

These events are part of a celebration throughout the central Oregon coast, made possible by grants from the Oregon Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as substantial support by the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau. For a full schedule of Lincoln City events, during the month of November, head to oregoncoast.org.

The Lincoln City Cultural Center is at 540 NE Hwy. 101. In addition to Native American Heritage Month activities, the fall lineup includes a flamenco and guitar performance on November 5, and a Portuguese-Brazilian jazz quartet on November 29. For tickets and information, call 541-994-9994, head to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org.

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