The Native American Indian Heritage Festival is clearly a popular event. The regular and overflow parking lots at Vancouver’s Water Resources Education Center were both full Saturday, prompting some people to park at Marine Park to attend the festivities.
As people walked toward the building, you could hear the thump of a drum coming from the second floor. The drumming, dancing and regalia of the Native Runway held upstairs was the highlight of the day. In addition to sharing native dances, people from the audience were invited to join a friendship dance where people circled each other and clasped hands as they passed.
“You can see we can’t fit any more people in here,” said Cory Samia, a water and wetlands educator.
She said the festival is “a gift to the community.” All of the performers are volunteers who want to share their culture and heritage.
New this year was the holiday craft marketplace where people could buy one-of-a-kind pieces of art, jewelry and other gifts by Native artisans. Vivian Harrison, who belongs to the Yakama tribe, was selling her wares, including necklaces and purses. She sews the buckskin and her sister does the intricate bead work on the front of the purses.
“It takes her two weeks to make one this size,” she said, pointing to a purse.
Harrison said she purchases items from relatives and sells them at powwows and other events in the Northwest.
Items donated by the vendors were raffled off to benefit the Dream Catchers Scholarship at Clark College that helps students who “fall through the gaps and cracks,” said Becky Archibald, a community activist whose heritage is Soshone-Bannock (on her mother’s side) and Southern Sierra Miwok (on her father’s side).
She said the Native American Indian Heritage Festival is all about offering the community more insight into the culture and ways of Native Americans.
“We’re very excited about next year,” Archibald said.
