Heritage To Celebrate Native American Heritage Month

Heritage University is celebrating the traditions and culture of Native Americans with Native American Heritage Month, a series of events in November highlighting Native American accomplishments, contributions and talents. The events include:

The Heritage University community and the public are invited to a lunch featuring Indian Tacos served by the Heritage University Native American Club. A Native American-themed movie will also be shown during the lunch. This event takes place Nov. 13 in the Harry Kent Building on the Toppenish campus from noon– 2 p.m.

On Nov. 14-16, Heritage University will host the National Indian Education Association Conference, an event for certified teachers and administrators on the effective implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which honors local languages and cultures. The conference will from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day in Smith Family Hall, housed in the Arts & Sciences Building.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Heritage University students, faculty and staff will celebrate American Indian/Alaska native heritage by participating in “Roc Your Mocs,” a nationwide event in which people are encouraged to wear moccasins all day. This event also honors the ancestors of indigenous peoples worldwide.

Also on Nov. 18, more than 400 Native American students in grades nine through 12 from Toppenish, Wapato and White Swan high schools will visit Heritage University as part of “Native American High School Campus Visit Day.” The high school students will hear what college is all about from Native American college students, and will share their culture through performances by their school’s Native American club. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Patricia Wade Temple Room, which is inside the Gaye and Jim Pigott Dining Commons.

Maxine Janis, the President’s Liaison for Native American Affairs at Heritage University, will present “Culturally Conscious Dialogue: Cultural Attunement through Critical Consciousness” on Nov. 19. Janis will discuss how to use critical consciousness in order to overcome social and political biases. Janis’ presentation is part of the ongoing lectures at Heritage known as the “Faculty Research/Scholarship Series,” and will be held in Room 2388 of Smith Family Hall, which is inside the Arts & Sciences Building. The program lasts from noon to 1 p.m.

On Nov. 25, The Heritage community and public are invited to the Native American Crafts Creation and Round Dance, an event in which participants will be shown how to create their own Native American arts and crafts, including dream catchers, God’s eyes, necklaces and key chains. Attendees will also be invited to join in a round dance to powwow music performed by drummers. The noon-to-4 p.m. event takes place in the Patricia Wade Temple Room inside the Gaye and Jim Pigott Dining Commons.

For more information, contact Maxine Janis at (509) 865-0737 or Janis_m@heritage.edu, and/or Rose Butterfly at (509) 631-1103 or butterfly_r@heritage.edu.