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NIGA hosts native culture showcase

WASHINGTON, DC – (PRESS RELEASE) – The beauty and diversity of Native traditional culture is perhaps no more apparent than in the music, dance and art that has been passed on for centuries. Thanks to Indian gaming, Native cultures have been revived and, in fact, are thriving in the twenty-first century. Among the many other benefits that American Indian tribes receive due to a flourishing gaming industry, Native communities now have the resources to put into cultural programming.

To celebrate the beauty of traditions that all tribes share, the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) is hosting "The Spirit of Sovereignty Celebration of Native Culture" -- a very special musical program at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Ariz., in conjunction with "Indian Gaming '07," the Association's annual trade show.

On Sunday, March 25 from 2 to 5 p.m., several tribes from around the country will be showcased at the Heard Museum (2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix). Mohegan Tribe Chairman Bruce Bozsum; Yaaw Tei Yi, a Tlingit dance troupe group hailing from Juneau, Alaska; Dishchii'Bikoh High School Apache Crown Dancers from the White Mountain Apache reservation in Arizona; the Pueblo of Acoma Inter-Tribal Dancers; and others will give cultural presentations of music and dance. The afternoon's Master of Ceremonies will be Wallace Coffey, Chairman of the Comanche Nation.

The afternoon will be dedicated to bring attention to NIGA's Spirit of Sovereignty Foundation – a non-profit program that generates scholarships for deserving Native American students. The event will be free and open to the general public. As a special treat, attendees will feast on an array of Native foods, including wild rice, Pueblo bread, New Mexico chili, buffalo, crab and salmon. There is no admission to the three-hour program and the food will be free.

This is the third year in a row that NIGA has hosted special cultural events showcasing the many musical traditions found in Native communities. Past programs have been held to great acclaim at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The events, which typically take place during NIGA's trade shows, have thus far been held in San Diego (2005) and Albuquerque (2006).

"NIGA's cultural events bring attention to the many wonderful things that Indian gaming is making possible in our communities," says NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr., a member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. "There is perhaps no better to spread the message of good will about our industry than with the creative and cultural expressions of our many tribal nations."

"Indian Gaming '07 " will take place March 25-28 at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Convention Center. The NIGA trade show is one of the largest annual gatherings of American Indian tribal and industry leaders, typically drawing several thousand delegates. This year, "Indian Gaming '07" will showcase approximately 330 vendors and exhibitors representing all aspects of the gaming and hospitality industries.

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