Students Throw Native American Art Exhibit to Heighten Tribal Awareness

South Puget Sound Community College’s Native American student club is hosting a Native American Art Exhibit in the Kenneth J. Minneart Center of the Arts building at 2011 Mottman Rd. SW, Olympia, WA from April 9th – 30th. The students’ goal is to “promote the understanding of tribal cultures,” says Cassie Welliver, Director of the Kenneth J. Minneart Center of the Arts.

The exhibit will be open from 12pm – 5pm Tuesday through Saturday, but will also be open to the public during special events as well. All events are free of charge.

On April 18th, presented by SPSCC’s Native American and Anthropology student clubs, there will be the South Puget Sound Community College Native American Heritage Celebration which will include a plethora of fun and academic events. Information about Native American culture, language, and history will be offered.

Workshops on wood carving by David Wilson of the Nisqually Youth Group, basket weaving by Marie Griswold, and beading by Cindy Eurak and Mandy McCullah will be available. The Hands On Children’s Museum will have activities for kids. The Kuteeya dancers from the Alaskan tribe will be performing. Additionally, Bill Franks, chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission will be speaking on ecology.

Welliver wrote a call to artists in the Nisqually and Squaxin tribal newsletters and in The Olympian and The Tacoma News Tribune inviting blood members of any tribe to enter art pieces in the gallery and or set up a table where they can sell or display their arts and crafts. She was glad to help facilitate this student driven event. There will be an estimated 30 pieces of art on display, a few of which will be for sale, but the majority of items for sale will be at the crafts tables.

There wasn’t the flood of entrants they had expected, and Welliver had to meet with influential people and tribal citizens to “grab people by the sleeve and pull them in.”

With special thanks to Dale Crows and Dave Rector of SPSCC,

Joe Clammath from the Nisqually tribe, Mandy McCullah from the Squaxin tribe, this celebration is an opportunity for people of all ages to mix education with enjoyment.