Bergen Community College to Celebrate Native American Heritage Week, September 2

Filmmaker Chris Eyre, Photo by Ray Mickshaw

Award-winning filmmaker Chris Eyre will kick off the 10th-annual Native American Heritage Week at Bergen Community College on Tuesday, September 26, at 11:00 a.m., in the Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre, Main Campus, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus.

Native American Heritage Week, which celebrates Native contributions to American history, culture, and arts, is co-sponsored by the College’s Office of Student Life and the Center for the Study of Intercultural Understanding. All daytime events are free and are open to the public. Native American jewelry, crafts, buckskin goods, and other items will be available for sale in the Student Center throughout the week. For more information, please call the Office of Student Life at 201-447-7215.
Chris Eyre, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma, is an award-winning director of films that focus on all aspects of contemporary Native American life. Eyre’s feature film debut, “Smoke Signals,” won both the coveted Filmmaker’s Trophy and the Audience Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and went on to become one of the five highest-grossing independent films of the year. Eyre also holds the distinction of being the first Native American director to have one of his films open to a national theatrical audience.

Native American Heritage Week Event Calendar

Tuesday, September 26, 11:00 a.m., Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre – Keynote Speaker Chris Eyre, Award-winning filmmaker and director.

1:00 p.m., Student Center – Birds of Prey with Jennifer Pena. Jennifer Pena represents Flight of the Raptor, a privately run organization dedicated to heightening awareness of the importance of birds of prey in our environment. This presentation will include two raptor flight demonstrations and the birds will be on display all day.

Wednesday, September 27, 11:00 a.m., Room: A-113 – Leaf Arrow Storytellers. Leaf Arrow storytellers, Donna Couteau Cross, of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma, and Joe Cross, of the Caddo Indian Nation of Oklahoma, present an interactive show featuring coyote tales, creation stories, and historic folklore. Through the use of story, song and dance, the husband and wife team celebrate the special relationship the Native American people have always had with the Earth.

Thursday, September 28, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Room: A-104, Chris Eyre’s films to be shown: “Smoke Signals,” “Skins,” and “Edge of America.”

Friday, September 29, 12:30 p.m., Student Center – Drum and Dancing with Red Storm Drum and Dance Troupe. The Red Storm Drum and Dance Troupe will celebrate the diversity of a variety of indigenous nations through their presentation of Native American song, dance and storytelling. The Troupe will aim to recreate and identify the history of men and women in Native American culture by performing in authentic tribal costumes and by displaying traditional artwork on campus. Audience members will be invited to partake in a traditional gathering dance, while discovering the beauty of Native American culture.

7:30 p.m., Ciccone Theatre – Bill Miller, 2005 Grammy Award winner, to perform. A Mohican Indian from northern Wisconsin, Bill Miller has long been considered one of the most important and influential figures in the Native American music arena and beyond. As an award-winning musician, performer, songwriter, activist and painter, the multitalented artist has been described by many as the “voice of the voiceless.” His message recently penetrated the mainstream music community when his album, “Cedar Dream Songs,” was honored with the award for “Best Native American Music Album” at the 47th annual Grammy Awards. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $18 for children and senior citizens (65+) and $16 for all Bergen Community College students, faculty and staff. Seating is reserved and advanced ticket purchase—available at 201-447-7428—is recommended.

Bergen Community College is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 14,000 students in Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs, and certificate programs. More than 10,000 students are enrolled in non-credit, professional courses through the Division of Continuing Education, the Institute for Learning in Retirement, and the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center, located at 355 Main Street, Hackensack. Information about the College is available at http://www.bergen.edu or by phoning the Welcome Center at 201-447-7200.