November is Native American Heritage Month – a time to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people and to celebrate diverse cultures, traditions, and histories. Kentucky has a rich Native American history and was home to several tribes: Shawnee, Chickasaw, Yuchi, and Cherokee.
Back by popular demand, is the Boone County Public Library Native American Heritage Celebration at the Main Library in Burlington on Saturday, November 18 from noon-3 p.m. The event is jam-packed with entertainment and sure to be a great day for everyone. We’ve added more demonstrations both inside and outside the library.
Coming from Rhode Island, The Eastern Medicine Singers will drum, dance and sing in the Eastern Woodlands style used by many of Kentucky’s Native American tribes. They will be located on the second floor in the large meeting room and will perform throughout the entire event, with a couple of breaks.
Also performing, Native American ceremonial singer Brian Miller will sing, play the flute and share stories under the dome on the first floor at noon. Miller’s heritage is Quawpaw and Cherokee but he has been adopted into the Oglala Lakota nation. He is a sacred fire chief for his tribe and a traditional pow-wow dancer.
Children will have fun making lego-stamped maize, dream catchers, rain sticks, and headbands in the Family Activity Center on the second floor. They’ll also enjoy hearing Native American stories on the second floor, by the dome. They can hear : Raven at 12:45 p.m. and Arrow to the Sun at 1:45 p.m.
Explore a tipi exhibition, by Tim Deane, on the library’s lawn and watch a flintknapping demonstration by the Anthropolgy Department of Northern Kentucky University.
Flintknapping is the process of chipping away material from high silica stones to make tools with sharp points, such as arrowheads. The Anthropology Department will also demonstrate how to use an atlatl — a Native American hunting tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in spear-throwing.
Downstairs, Battaglia Deli and Café will offer a special menu with Native American dishes.
BCPL
