10 Nov, 2009
Autry Museum’s Native Am. Weekend Record Crowd
Posted by: Beach Reporter In: beaches| california
Los Angeles, CA–Record Breaking Crowds Attend Autry’s Native American Heritage Weekend. Native American history and culture at the Autry National Center is featured annually with major events that include Intertribal Arts Marketplace; the 10th Anniversary season of Native Voices at the Autry with the play Carbon Black by Terry Gomez (Comanche), and a new event, The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Tradition, exhibit.
Support for the Native American community from around the country was evident in a crowd-breaking event with over 3000 people attending the recent Tribal Arts weekend. A special blessing by the Gabrieleno/Tongva Tribe of San Gabriel opened the festivities. The Jackie Autry Purchase Award was given to Mohawk artist Sosakete for his traditional Mohawk pottery. His piece will now be accessioned into the Autry’s permanent collection. Best in Show and Best Textile were awarded to TahNibaa Naataanii (Navajo) for her woven kilt.
Traditional dances by the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe, hoop dancing by Terry Goedel and family, Pow Wow dances by the Wild Horse Singers, peaceful sounds of Native flute by Ed Kabotie and storytellers Jacque Nunez (Acjachemen) and Robert Greygrass (Lakota) entertained children and adults.
A special treat was watching basketweaver Ruby Chimerica (Hopi) who demonstrated the making of piki bread. The blue corn mixture was thinly spread across a flat black rock sitting atop a fire of cedar wood. Visitors were able to sample and purchase a bundle of piki bread and roasted blue corn to take home.
The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Tradition continues on display through May 30, 2010, and Native Voices at the Autry’s play Carbon Black by Terry Gomez (Comanche) ends November 22. The 2010 Intertribal Arts Marketplace will be held November 6 and 7. For more information, autrynationalcenter.org.
About the Autry National Center
The Autry National Center is an intercultural history center dedicated to exploring the experiences and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West. The Autry celebrates the cultures of the American West through three institutions on two Los Angeles campuses: the Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Mt. Washington; the Museum of the American West in Griffith Park; and the Institute for the Study for the American West, which comprises the Braun Research Library and the Autry Library and is headquartered in Griffith Park.
The Autry National Center ’s hours of operation at its Griffith Park location are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum store’s weekday hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday hours for the museum and the museum store are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum and museum store are closed on Mondays.
Admission is $9 for adults, $5 for students and seniors 60+, $3 for children 3–12, and free for Autry members, veterans, and children 2 and under. Admission is free on the second Tuesday of every month.
