Gathering to showcase Native American community on March 30

The El Dorado Peace and Justice Community announced its latest community collaboration for the Placerville Season for Nonviolence 2013.

The Foothill Indian Education Alliance, Inc., a local Native educational and cultural nonprofit, is hosting a “Community Gathering” at its Indian Education Resource Center on Briw Road in Placerville. The event will be held on Saturday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It has been my experience that few local non-Native people have much understanding or information about our local Native community,” said James Marquez, director of Foothill Indian Education Alliance. ”Who we are. How we work together. How we provide for our Native and non-Native communities. It is our hope that Community Gathering participants will leave our event with a better understanding of Native people, and how we are valuable partners and contributors in our Native and non-Native community.”

“We hope the non-Native community will accept our invitation. This event is for anyone who likes to have fun, eat good food and is open to exploring new things,” Marquez said. “We will be serving a delicious traditional three sisters stew and fry bread lunch for all participants. In Native culture, we always feed our guests before we sit down to talk. After we’ve had lunch, we will engage in a hands-on activity, explaining the importance of a person’s personal medicine, while making buckskin medicine bags for each participant to take home. We will also offer an activity for children who are not yet capable of sewing a medicine bag.”

“During the hands-on activity, we will be joined by a number of Native service providers in our community,” Marquez added. “Each will give a short presentation on what we do in our community and how it helps provide a net of services to an otherwise underserved community. A prominent storyteller in our community will offer a short history of Native people in El Dorado County and provide a stirring example of the art of Native storytelling. After the presentations, participants will break into three groups and compete in a Native Jeopardy game. This is an opportunity to test your knowledge of Native culture, history and traditions.”

To close the event, a group of local Native community members will drum and sing traditional songs. There is a chance that an impromptu Round Dance (friendship dance) will break out.

Visit the Indian Education Resource Center and join us for an offering of free food, free fun, free prizes and a wonderfully memorable day in El Dorado County. Children are welcome. Participants will also have an opportunity to win one of a number of door prizes during the event. For more information call the Foothill Indian Education Alliance at 530-621-3096.