Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…………………………………..SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

CEREMONY AND CELEBRATION HIGHLIGHT
THE EIGHTH ANNUAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAYS

Tribal Members Invite Community To Honor Indigenous History, Culture
October 5 - October 8, 2007

For more information, contact: Michael Ben Ortiz, 530-277-3423 or
Joan Buffington, 530-913-6446, joanbuffington@sbcglobal.net

Nevada City, CA. An ancient Maidu riverside ceremony called "Calling Back the Salmon" is one of the highlights of the upcoming Indigenous Peoples Days, set in and around Nevada City, California on Friday, October 5th through Monday, October 8th, 2007.

Hosting the event, two local tribes, the Tsi-Akim Maidu Tribe and the Colfax-Todds Valley -Colfax Consolidated Tribe, invite the public to learn about their history, come together to heal the wounds of the past, and celebrate their culture.

Joining the celebration will be several native elders and a variety of tribal musicians and educators, including NAMI award winning Yolanda Martinez, elder Fred 'Coyote' Downing, EagleHeart, and April GoForth and Thoz Womenz. Also appearing will be the Feather River Singers, the Shingle Springs Dancers, the Berry Creek Youth Dancers, the Grass Valley Hula Dancers, and the Aztec Dancers.

Eight years ago in Nevada City, on what is known as Columbus Day, several local tribal members held a candlelight vigil to honor their ancestors. At the same time, at the KVMR Community Radio studio just blocks away, local radio volunteers organized a day to honor natives. Over the years those native and non native people have joined forces with other local organizations to produce what has become four full days of healing and celebration.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th; This year the event will open on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 4 PM with a ceremony to dedicate to the local Maidu land in Nevada City, the center of the Gold Rush that exterminated 99.5% of their ancestors. The opening ceremony will honor those ancestors and the culture that lives on.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6th: The day begins at sunrise with the traditional sunrise ceremony near Parks Bar Bridge. Spirit Runners will then carry a speared salmon upstream to Bridgeport Crossing at the south fork of the Yuba River, where an elder will perform the traditional ceremony known as "Calling Back the Salmon," This ceremony was held in 2006 for the first time in 156 years.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7th: A sunrise ceremony at the Tsi-Akim Active Cultural Center at Burton Park, outside Nevada City, opens the day. From 11 AM to 6 PM the public is invited to a day of fun, with discussion, celebration, food and healing. The public can experience an active traditional village and traditional Bark House, located on land that once was a Maidu village. Many of the guests who will be onstage Monday will also be at the Sunday gathering.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8th: Opens with a sunrise ceremony at the Tsi-Akim Active Cultural Center. At 10 AM the event moves to Miners Foundry, in downtown Nevada City, where the public is invited to a day of discussion and celebration. From 10 AM to noon the focus will be on children's activities, with elementary school classes invited to hear storytelling, traditional singing and drumming.

Afternoon activities will focus on discussions of key issues, including: the problem of "Mercury in our water, our land, and our bodies, ""Healing Soul Wounds" of the Gold Rush and beyond, a gathering of tribal leaders and elders, and a panel of youth. Onstage throughout the afternoon will be April GoForth and the women's drum circle, Thoz Womenz.

The Richard Prout Memorial Dinner, dedicated to the late chair of the Colfax tribe, will offer wild salmon, wild elk and buffalo stew, and other traditional foods. The evening will feature traditional dancing and singing with the Feather River Singers, Niki Esho drummers, Shingle Springs dancers, and award winning contemporary singer songwriter Yolanda Martinez.

Sunday and Monday will be broadcast live on KVMR Community Radio, 89.5 FM/105.1 FM, and online at kvmr.org.

Indigenous Peoples Days are hosted by the Tsi-Akim Maidu tribe and the Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated tribe. Community sponsors include: KVMR-FM, the South Yuba River Citizens League, the Sierra Fund, the Seventh Generation Fund, the Miners Foundry, the Nevada County Land Trust, Nevada County Indian Education, Sierra Nevada Deep Ecology Institute, California State Parks, California Fish and Game, and Briarpatch Community Coop.

Donations will be accepted at the door on Sunday and Monday, with a fee for Monday dinner. The four day event is alcohol and drug free, and open to the public.

Volunteers are invited to help with this event. Volunteers can contact Stephanie Lorenson at the Nevada County Land Trust, 530-272-5994. For questions about the children's event on Monday morning, call Donna Uran at 530-478-1656, or email uran@alum.mit.edu

For more information, call the Tsi Akim Tribal office at 530-265-0711 or go online to: www.indigenouspeoplesdays.org.