Native American Awareness Week starts Tuesday

Video presentations, discussion panels, pow wows and a Friendship Banquet will highlight a week of festivities at the 19th annual Native American Awareness Week and Idaho Indian Education Youth Conference Tuesday through Friday on the Lewis-Clark State College campus in Lewiston.

The theme for the week's program is "River of Dreams." All of the events are free and open to the public.

Events planned for the conference include a mini pow wow from 10 to 11:15 a.m. Tuesday in the LCSC Activity Center. Fourth-grade classes from area schools are invited to participate.

Later, "An Evening of Storytelling," from 7 to 8:30 p.m. will be held in the activity center, with an open microphone storytelling contest. All types of stories can be told, but must be rated PG13 or under.

The two-day Idaho Indian Education Youth Conference begins Wednesday with panels and discussions in the Williams Conference Center:

9 a.m. Wednesday, opening ceremonies with welcomes from LCSC President Dene Thomas and LCSC Director of Native American and Minority Services Bob Sobotta.

10:30-11:45 a.m. Wednesday, video "Surviving Lewis & Clark -- The Nimiipuu Story," produced by the Nez Perce Tribe, will be shown, with discussion by Dan Kane, Angel Sobotta and Farren Penney.

10:30-11:45 a.m. Wednesday, D.J. (EagleBear) Vanas, president of Native Discovery Inc. of Colorado Springs, Colo., will give a presentation, "The Warrior Within: A Path to Personal Discovery and Achievement."

1:30-2:45 p.m. Wednesday, a panel discussion, "A Tribute to the Life and Works of Vine Deloria Jr.," facilitated by Chris Riggs, LCSC social science professor.

3-4:15 p.m. Wednesday, a reading by Tiffany Midge, poetry editor for "The Raven Chronicles," a multicultural arts magazine and a member of the board of directors for Red Eagle Soaring, a Native Outreach-theater company.

9-10:15 a.m. Thursday, Otis Halfmoon, coordinator with the National Park Service in Santa Fe, N.M., will present "The National Park Service and its Role in Protecting Historical Native Trails."

10:30-11:45 a.m. Thursday, Keith Egawa, Seattle author and Lummi tribal member will give readings from his books, "Madchild Running" and "Dispatch from the Raft."

1:30-2:45 p.m. Thursday, Laurie (Lali) McCubbin, assistant professor in educational leadership and counseling psychology at Washington State University, will lead a discussion on "Developmental Assets: Promoting Resilience in Education."

3-4:15 p.m. Thursday, "Using the Medicine Wheel Teachings to Promote Connection and Balance," discussion led by George Brertton, resident elder at Blue Quills First Nations College of Alberta, Canada.

7-9 p.m. Thursday, the Friendship Banquet, with the Native American Awareness Week Lifetime Achievement Award being presented, along with the Issac (Ike) Wilson Memorial Scholarship and other awards being given.

The week's festivities will conclude with the LCSC Pow Wow from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday in the activity center. Halfmoon will be master of ceremonies.

A complete calendar of events for the week can be found online at www.lcsc.edu.studentservices.minor-ityprograms.Default.htm.