Annual festival highlights Native American arts, heritage

By Jeremy Twitchell

Friday, April 3, 2009 | 6:24 p.m.

Native American dancers, musicians and artisans cut a stunningly colorful contrast against gray skies overhead as the 20th Annual Native American Arts Festival opened Friday morning at the Clark County Museum.

More than 2,000 Clark County School District students were expected to make their way through the festival on its first day to learn about the culture and traditions of dozens of tribes at the feet of tribal members.

The festival continues Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, with shows at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.

Clark County Museum Administrator Mark Hall-Patton said every performer, artist and craftsman in the festival is a certified member of a Native American tribe.

"That's one of the thing that makes it a different kind of show from what you'll see at other places," Hall-Patton said. "People can understand that these are vibrant cultures that are still with us, not just something that happened deep in the past."

To demonstrate that Native American cultures are still alive and well, 55 vendors from as far away as Alaska and South Dakota set up shop at the festival to sell jewelry, baskets, pottery and food.

One of the most popular booths Friday morning was the jewelry business of Wil and Vira Yazzie, members of the Dinéh (Navajo) tribe from Canoncito, N.M.

The couple provided in-depth explanations of their crafts: Vira Yazzie explained the significance of the colors of the beads she put on each piece of jewelry, while Wil Yazzie demonstrated how he does the metalwork. He talked about the meaning of his designs.

"These pieces we make are teaching pieces," Vira Yazzie said. "We hope that (customers) will take each piece and be able to explain to someone else what it means so that we keep that tradition alive."

The first show Friday morning featured social dancers and a professional hoop dancer -- no older than any of the students for which he performed -- that amazed the crowd with his unique skill.

Robert Tree Cody, a member of the Maricopa/Dakota Sioux tribe who in his 15th year as master of ceremonies for the festival, said he is a lifelong educator whose goal is to teach students about Native American culture.

"My goal is basically to show the younger generation what the Native Americans are truly like," Cody said. "A lot of the kids have the idea that all Native Americans are the same, but in reality, they find that we all have different tribes, different styles of clothing, dances, songs and houses."

Cody's background as a Native American performer is extensive. He has won five Native American Music Awards for his flute music and twice been nominated for Grammy Awards. And he has a strong pedigree -- his father, Iron Eyes Cody, was the teary-eyed star of the "Keep America Beautiful" ad campaign.

Cody is from New Mexico, but said he loves coming to the Clark County festival because of the museum staff, the performers, and the welcoming crowd.

"Come on over, join us and have a good time," he said.