CANCELED – Keeping Heritage Real

One may hear varying points of view when it comes to heritage – timeless creation or historical storytelling, all are imperative. Keeping heritage ‘real’ is important as it ensures the posterity for Native Americans. The vivid landscape, the many footprints, timeless settings, high and low points, conflict and adversity – all are real. In this era, people are continually evolving, some focus on ideas, some share, some don’t. Still, all are simply working every day to balance a modern lifestyle. Hear about some of the old ways to help participants begin to relate to what’s happening here and now.

As a tribal member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Royce Manuel has long played an important role in perpetuating cultural knowledge within the tribal nation by service to the Auk Mierl Aw-Aw-Thum. Royce maintains the distinction of keeping the Calendar Stick. Today, he continues to record and initiate collaborative projects that will engage the Aw-Thum (O’odham) sister tribes in creative strategies of integrating the Calendar Stick concepts into projects, design, wellness, math, science and critical learning. Debbie Nez-Manuel (Diné) has a Masters in Social Work, Arizona State University and is experienced in both non-profit and tribal communities. Debbie’s traditional and bi-cultural lifestyles, provides valuable insight and practices in both urban and tribal community settings while preserving, strengthening, and renewing cultural identity.