NIC celebrates American Indian Heritage Week
April 4, 2013
North Idaho College will host a number of events throughout the week of April 8-12 in honor of American Indian Heritage Week. Nearly all these events, which celebrate the tribes of the Northwest, are free and open to the public.

The series of events begins Monday with storytelling by Marie Poirier of the Blackfeet Tribe at 10 a.m. in the Driftwood Bay Room of the Edminster Student Union Building (SUB). The Shooting Star Dancers of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe will present a dancing exhibition from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the SUB Plaza.

From 1:15 to 2:15 p.m., Quanah Matheson, also of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, will give a talk on the tribe's history, again in the Driftwood Bay Room.

On Tuesday, vendors will have booths set up and a silent auction will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Driftwood Bay Room to benefit the Che'nshish Scholarship, a fund established by the American Indian Student Alliance Club through the NIC Foundation.

Featured artists with work on display will include Jacque Deanna Bell, Valentina LaPier, Alani Hand, Clay Hand, William Weems and more.

A number of art demonstrations will be presented in the Lake Coeur d'Alene Room in the SUB, including basket weaving by Jacque Rickard of the Walker River Paiute band from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.; a clay art demonstration by Cherokee tribal member Wyatt Hand from 1 to 2:15 p.m.; and an acrylic painting on canvas demonstration by Valentina LaPier of the Blackfeet Tribe.

On Wednesday, you can enjoy an inter-tribal feast with salmon, fry bread, corn and huckleberry dessert, available for $6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the SUB Plaza. Hoop Dancers from the Tangled Roots Dance Studio will be performing there from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.

From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Norma Peone of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe will demonstrate the stick game.

On Thursday evening, an Intertribal Show featuring musician Jack Gladstone and the Haida Heritage Dance Group takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center. NIC students with ID get in free; tickets are $5 per person for non-students, and available at the door, which opens at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds again benefit the Che'nshish Scholarship.

A free Native American crafts workshop for the whole family takes place in the SUB Lake Coeur d'Alene Room from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, offering hands-on fun for all ages making dream catchers, choker necklaces, pony bead necklaces and more. As if that weren't enough, there will also be free pizza!

"Rainbow Crow Saves the World," a live performance piece by Amanda Johnson and Sherry Mays, both members of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, will be presented at 7 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. in the SUB.

The week-long celebration is sponsored by the NIC American Indian Student Alliance and the Coeur d'Alene Casino. To find out more, call (208) 769-3365.