Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Honoring Elders
Posted on Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 11:15 AM
Last year the crowds at the Intertribal Elder Gathering hit 4,500 according to the organizers' count. This year is the 33rd annual event, and Native Americans from all over the Northwest are coming together at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (free).
Over 55? Pull up a chair and join the feast free of charge. A dinner of roast turkey and local salmon baked in an open pit awaits elders of all ethnicities. How nice is that? Beats a discount on bus fare. Everyone else can purchase a meal and join in on the community celebration ($8, $4 kids, free to kids under 12).
The gathering is also a chance to see traditional Brush, Pow Wow, Aztec, Shake Head, Hoop and Tolowa Honoring dances, as well as hear native singing and drumming. You can also peruse scads and scads of arts and crafts all day long. It's a lesson in living culture and an extended family reunion all in one.
— Jennifer Fumiko Cahill
