In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Burlington County will host a free program featuring Native dancing, music, storytelling, demonstrations, and photo exhibit at the Mount Holly Library Saturday, Nov. 17 from noon to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by the Burlington County Freeholders and the Division of Cultural Affairs and Tourism, the second annual celebration will also include a lecture on tribal history and contemporary culture by Chief Mark Gould, Tribal Chairman of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe.

The program offers a unique opportunity for the public to learn more about the traditions, accomplishments and rich ancestry of Native Americans.

A special highlight of the event will be performances by Justice and Trinity Norwood, teenaged brother and sister from Moorestown who represent the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe. The reigning tribal princess, Trinity is an award-winning fancy shawl dancer and tribal presenter. Justice is an award-wining southern straight style dancer and water and war drummer. The siblings, who have represented their tribe nationally and internationally, will perform wearing colorful, traditional regalia.

The celebration will also feature war drumming and pow-wow style dancing, including a grand entry, honor song, and intertribal and specialty dancing by the Red Blanket Drum Group and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Dancers with Native New Jersey.

Also planned are Native flute music, storytelling, beading and basket making, an exhibit of Native artifacts, and arts and crafts for children.

A photo exhibit on Native American culture and history by photographer Cara Lee Blume will be on display. An archaeologist and historian who has worked with and for American Indian communities in Delaware and New Jersey for 20 years, Blume views her photographs as a tribute to the people in these communities who have become her friends.

The Mount Holly Library is located at 307 High Street. Parking will be available in the Sacred Heart Church parking lot across the street. For more information, call the Division of Cultural Affairs and Tourism at (609) 265-5068.

Schedule (Presenters will be available for Q&A throughout most of the Celebration)
NOON - Prelude (live or recorded drumming and/or flute).
12:15 p.m. - Introduction and basic history (multi-media presentation by Native New Jersey).
12:45 a.m. - Explanation of artifacts and cultural sharing.
1 p.m. - Lenape water drumming and social dancing (live by Native New Jersey).
1:30 p.m. - Storytelling and cultural sharing.
2 p.m. - War drumming and pow-wow style dancing (including grand entry, an honor song, intertribal and specialty dancing by Red Blanket Drum Group and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Dancers with Native New Jersey).
2:45 p.m. - Questions and answers by (Chief Mark Gould and Native New Jersey)
3 p.m. - Beading and regalia presentation.
3:20 p.m. - Native flute presentation and music.
3:45 p.m. - Cultural sharing (by Native New Jersey).

Source: Burlington County Press Release

 

Additional Native American Resources
Courtesy of the Burlington County Library

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Data and Links From the U.S. Census Bureau

American Indian College Fund Scholarships and other support for the nation's 32 tribal colleges and universities

American Indian Health Information from the National Library of Medicine

Digital History Native American voices ordered by chronology and topic

 Famous Native Americans Images

First Americans Native American Studies for grade schoolers

First Nations Seeker Directory of North American Indian portal websites

Images of Native Americans Special collection on the history of California and the American West from Bancroft Library

Indian Country Nations' leading American Indian news source

Indianz.com Online community for Native Americans

Lakota na Dakota Wowapi Oti Kin The Lakota and Dakota peoples are also known as Sioux or Siouan peoples. Joint project of Augustana College and Creighton University

Map of Indian Reservations in the Continental U.S. From the National Park Serivce, U.S. Department of the Interior

National Museum of the American Indian From the Smithsonian Institution

Native American Cultures From Scholastic's Earthwatch

Native American Indian Heritage Month Commemorates the historical participation of Native Americans in the U.S. Armed Forces - from the U.S. Department of Defense

National Tribal Justice Resource Center Dedicated to tribal justice systems, personnel and tribal law

Native American Banking Resource Directory "Provides descriptions and contact information for a sampling of organizations that can provide resources to banks interested in lending, investing, or providing retail financial services in Indian country"

Native Americans - Internet Resources List of sites compiled by James Madison University

Native Americans in Film & Television A bibliography of materials in the UC Berkeley Library. Also includes journals articles

Native Tech Native American technology and art

Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy Self-determination, self-governance, and development resources for Indigenous nations in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere

Navajo Code Talkers' Dictionary FAQ from the Department of the Navy - Naval Historical Center

Office of Entrepreneurial Development From the Office of Native American Affairs of the US Small Business Administration

Powhatan Renape Nation - Rankokus American American Reservation

Smithsonian: Native American History and Culture

Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science "The mission of SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) is to encourage Chicano/Latino and Native American students to pursue graduate education an
d obtain the advanced degrees necessary for science research, leadership, and teaching careers at all levels."

Storytelling of the North Carolina Native Americans Cherokee, Lumbee and Occaneechi

Surrounded by Beauty Arts of Native America

We the People: American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States Census 2000 Special Report - issued February 2006 [PDF]

WWW Virtual Library - American Indians Index of Native American Resources on the Internet