Photos Special to ViewParticipants in the 2006 Native American Heritage Festival at Lorenzi Park wore traditional attire while demonstrating tribal dance, songs, storytelling and other elements of American Indian culture. Saturday?s free festival will be held at Floyd Lamb Park, 9200 Tule Springs Road.
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The annual Native American Heritage Festival presented by the city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services returns for its fourth year on Saturday, this time with a twist -- it will be held at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs.
The event, which celebrates a variety of American Indian cultures and traditions, will feature entertainment such as native dances, songs and storytelling. Admission is free.
In previous years, the festival took place at Lorenzi Park, 3333 W. Washington Ave., which is still undergoing a massive renovation. But that's not necessarily the reason for the move.
"This is the first year it's going to be at Floyd Lamb Park, and if there's anyone who hasn't been out there, this is a great opportunity to do so," city event coordinator Darren Copeland said. "The city took over the park last July, and we've been trying to program more events there for the surrounding community and all of Las Vegas. It's a beautiful park. Normally there is a fee to get in, but admission is free on this day. So it's a good chance to learn about native traditions and get a firsthand look at what I think is Las Vegas' most beautiful park."
Board members from the Las Vegas Indian Center also are collaborating with the city to organize the event. The center's executive director Debra Reed said the organization has been more involved with the festival in the past but was already committed this year to another event on the same day at the Clark County Library.
"We always look forward to being involved with the local community, and we love promoting our culture and sharing it," Reed said. "There are approximately 30,000 Indians living in this area, but relatively speaking, there are not a lot of us in the area. So anytime we have the opportunity to share our culture, we take that, and any time we've had the offer to promote our culture or provide an educational session, we've been met with open arms."
While it's planned as a family friendly event full of entertainment options, the Native American Heritage Festival will provide an educational component in the form of demonstrations and craft-making.
Copeland said that in addition to the performances and sales and exhibits of sand paintings, gourds, jewelry and other crafts, there will be representatives in attendance of tribes within and beyond Southern Nevada, including Navajo, Moapa, Paiute, Choctaw, Apache and Lakota.
"It's a true intertribal gathering and celebration of various cultures," he said.
The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the park, 9200 Tule Springs Road. For more information, call 229-1087 or 229-8100.
Contact Centennial View reporter Brock Radke at bradke@viewnews.com or 383-4629.
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