Celebration of Native American Peoples Begins September 24

SALISBURY, MD---Salisbury University explores the amazing story of America’s original inhabitants in its Celebration of Native American Peoples series this fall.  America’s first citizens’ vibrant and rich mix of cultures is highlighted by some of today’s leading Native American artists and scholars. Inaugurating the semester-long program are Grammy-nominated singer Joanne Shenandoah and Grammy-winning flutist Mary Youngblood who perform in concert 7 p.m. Friday, September 24, in Holloway Hall Auditorium. The series continues with the screening of The Ancestors, the first film in Jack Leustig’s eight-part epic documentary 500 Nations 8 p.m. Monday, September 27, in Caruthers Hall Auditorium. The series continues 8 p.m. Mondays through November 15. Local Cherokee dancers join drum circle Mother Earth Beat for a Native American powwow drum 7-10 p.m. Friday, October 1, in Red Square. Local residents are invited to bring a drum and join in.  Rain location is Holloway Hall Auditorium. Author and poet Simon Ortiz speaks on Native American writings and oral traditions 7 p.m. Friday, October 8, in Holloway Hall Auditorium. The author of Out There Somewhere and other poetry collections and works of fiction, he has earned recognition from the National Endowment For the Arts, a Reader’s Digest Fund Award and lifetime achievement awards from the Returning the Gift Festival of Native Writers and the Western States Art Federation. His appearance is sponsored by the Fulton School of Liberal Arts, Guerrieri University Center and Office of Cultural Affairs and Museum Programs. Native American dance troupe Red Crooked Sky  performs 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 21, in Red Square. The Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture at SU opens exhibit “Late 19th Century Native American Photo History: Tracing the Provenance,” throughout November. Painter Eli Thomas, a member of the Onondaga Nation Wolf Clan, exhibits his works Monday-Tuesday, November 8-30, at the Bistro in the Commons.  Famous for his renderings of wolves, his art hangs in the collections of Jimmy Carter and Shaina Twain. Maryland Commissioner of Indian Affairs Gina Hamlin and Living Historian Guy Wells offer a close-up view of Native American artifacts 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Wicomico Room. Premier Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai speaks on “Native American religion and beliefs” Tuesday, November 16. On Wednesday, November 17, he talks about “Rites, Rituals and Ceremonies.”  Both are at 7 p.m. in Holloway Hall Auditorium. A special Native American dinner is 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, November 17, in the Bistro. Cost is $8.75 for adults, $5.50 for children. The R. Carlos Nakai Quartet concludes the series 7 p.m. Thursday, November 18, in Holloway Hall Auditorium, playing traditional Native American music with fusion elements. Sponsored by the Office of Cultural Affairs and Museum Programs, all events are free unless noted. The public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.