Members of the Creighton community celebrated Native American Heritage Month Tuesday night during a dance expo in the Hixson-Lied Auditorium at the Harper Center. The educational and entertaining event honors the resiliency of Native American people and their determination to preserve their cultures through traditional and contemporary song and dance.
Performances were provided by Bluebird Cultural Initiative, an Omaha-based nonprofit focused on revitalizing and preserving all aspects of Indigenous culture. The dances were performed by students in the Omaha Public Schools Native Indigenous Centered Education (NICE) program, with music by Upstream Singers.
Steve Tamayo (Sicangu Lakota), is a traditional artist, educator of Native American culture, and founder of Bluebird Cultural Initiative. He served as the emcee for the night, providing the introductions of the dance styles, and explaining the meaning, history and variations of each dance as well as the significance of dancers’ regalia, or outfits.
This was the third time that we’ve hosted this program. Due to the pandemic, there was no event in 2020. The purpose of dance expos is to remind all people that Native Americans are contemporary people, not just a chapter in an American History book. It also provides a glimpse into Native American culture and how Indigenous people are keeping it alive. The Native American Dance Expo was hosted by the Creighton Intercultural Center, Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the Native American student Association (NAA).
