Effigy Mounds National Monument		151 HWY 76 Harpers Ferry, Iowa 52146   563-873-3491 phone 563-873-3743 fax
			National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior
		Effigy Mounds News Release

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Ken Block, 563-873-3491

 

American Indian Heritage Celebration Returns!

Superintendent Phyllis Ewing has announced that Effigy Mounds National Monument will sponsor a celebration of American Indian arts and culture, June 25-26, 2004.  The event will focus on traditional culture and on the efforts of individuals and tribes who have historical roots in northeast Iowa to preserve these traditions and pass them on to the next generation.

On Friday, June 25, the American Indian Heritage Celebration will begin at 5:00 p.m. with the hour-long film In the Light of Reverence.  David Smith, Tribal Historian and Cultural Preservation Officer of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, will do storytelling on Friday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m.  The stories are oral traditions passed from generation to generation that recount tribal origins and migrations, tell the exploits of culture heroes, explain important religious beliefs and cultural practices, and provide insights into aspects of the natural world. 

Events will feature dance performances and demonstrations of traditional arts, including dancing and drumming, flute playing, storytelling, basket making, flintknapping, weaving, beadworking, and pottery making.  Individuals recognized in their own tribes as outstanding practitioners of the traditional arts will demonstrate their specialty and interact with the public, interpreting their culture and how it has been preserved.  The artists will invite questions and share traditions and personal knowledge, such as how they learned their craft, where they get their materials, and what is involved in producing their work.  A grand niece of Emma Big Bear, who was an important part of local history, will be demonstrating the traditional art of basket making.

Emma Big Bear was a direct descendant of Chief Waukon Decorah of the Winnebago tribe.  Demonstrations will take place Friday evening, June 25 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Dance performances will be held Friday evening, June 25 at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday afternoon, June 26 at 1:00 p.m.  A drum group from the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, whose drum rhythms and songs composed in native tongues represent specialized musical forms passed from generation to generation, will accompany dancers.  The master of ceremonies will introduce each aspect of the program and provide information about individual dance styles and dance regalia, the role of the drum, and protocol within the dance circle. 

A day-long symposium entitled “Sacred Sites:  Can They be Shared?” will occur on Saturday, June 26 from 8:45 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  The symposium will focus on the different perspectives of the “sacredness” of special places, and whether they can be preserved, while still being available to the wider public for research, recreation, and tourism.  Speakers from a variety of academic, tribal and National Park Service backgrounds will be the featured.

Native foods will be available for purchase throughout the event.  Park entrance fees will not be charged during either day of the event.  This event is made possible through funding from Iowa Arts Council, Humanities Iowa, National Park Foundation, and Eastern National.  Effigy Mounds National Monument’s visitor center is located three miles north of Marquette, Iowa, and 17 miles south of Waukon, Iowa, on Hwy 76.  If you have any questions about the Symposium or Celebration and/or would like more information about the park, please call (563) 873-3491, e-mail Kenneth_block@nps.gov or visit www.nps.gov/efmo.

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