News Releases

“Educating for the Seventh Generation"

On Friday, Dec. 3, Clark College will host a community-wide celebration of indigenous cultures

VANCOUVER, Wash. – On Friday, Dec. 3, Clark College will welcome the community as it hosts “Educating for the Seventh Generation,” a celebration of indigenous cultures.

The daylong event will begin with an invocation at 11 a.m. Additional events include an appearance by comedian Gilbert Brown at noon, a performance by Native American flutist and flute maker Isac Trimble at 1 p.m., a reading by Clark College English professor Gerard Smith at 2 p.m., a presentation by storyteller Ed Edmo at 2:30 p.m., and a showing of the film “We Are All Connected through the Water” at 3 p.m. 

One of the highlights of the event – a traditional powwow – will begin at 6 p.m. Closing ceremonies will take place at 9:30 p.m.

According to event committee members Becky Archibald and Anna Schmasow, the title references “a responsibility to pass on and teach for the future seven generations to have all our resources, culture and heritage.  It is a way of caring and preserving for those yet unborn, to leave the world a better place when you pass on….a true sustainable practice.”

In his proclamation marking National Native American Heritage Month 2010, President Barack Obama said, “For millennia before Europeans settled in North America, the indigenous peoples of this continent flourished with vibrant cultures and were the original stewards of the land. From generation to generation, they handed down invaluable cultural knowledge and rich traditions, which continue to thrive in Native American communities across our country today.”

This is the second year that Clark College has coordinated and hosted an event in honor of Native American Month.  It is one of four signature events hosted by the college annually to celebrate diverse cultures.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main campus.  Clark is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.  Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

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