Celebrate Native American Heritage

By Susan Braunstein

This year’s theme for Native American Heritage Month is “Pride in Our Heritage, Honor to our Ancestors.” Native American Heritage Month started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S. It has evolved into the entire month of November. The library will celebrate with a Discovery Day program featuring Belinda Joe, the cultural and education specialist at Crazy Horse Memorial, story times with a Native American theme and a special display from Oglala Lakota College at the downtown library.

Children are invited to a No School Discovery Day program on Nov. 29 given by Belinda Joe, the cultural and education specialist at Crazy Horse Memorial.  She will use a hand drum to start off and there will be singing and storytelling, a glimpse of a movie about Crazy Horse Memorial and a hands-on exercise using rock from Crazy Horse Mountain. It will take place at 10:30 a.m. downtown and 2:30 p.m. at Rapid City Public Library North at General Beadle Elementary School.
Joe is also a part of the Speakers Bureau offered through the South Dakota Humanities Council. She is available to do two different programs, “Camp Circle: Coming Home the Dakota Way,” and “@Storytelling – a Tale of Two Worlds: Dakota Tradition and Technology.”  For more information about these opportunities, visit http://sdhumanities.org/programs_bureau.htm.

Oglala Lakota College staff and students put together a display featuring information about their programs. View the display throughout the month at the top of the stairs at the downtown library.

America Recycles Day also takes place in November. On Nov. 15 staff from the Rapid City Solid Waste Operations will be in the downtown library lobby from 1-3 p.m. with information about recycling and composting.

The Children’s Home Society Foster and Adoption Services will do a drop in program on Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Children’s Home Society provides a home, school, and therapy for children, primarily ages 4-13, with emotional and behavioral problems. Foster care and adoption services are provided for children who are unable to return to their birth homes.  There are two homes run by the Society, one near Rockerville and the other in Sioux Falls.

The Lunch and Learn program on Nov. 17 from noon to 1 p.m. will feature Dr. Gary Brundige, the Resource Program Manager at Custer State Park. He will discuss the topic of Custer State Park, buffalo, wildlife and timber management.
A special guest storyteller, Ardee Hinzman, will be sharing stories on Nov.20 at 9:30 a.m. at the Rapid City Public Library north location in the General Beadle Elementary School.

Mark your calendar for two special events in December. Joe Hillberry will teach attendees how to make wine for the Community Voices program scheduled on Dec. 2 from 6:30-8 p.m.  Lunch and Learn on Dec.15 from noon to 1 p.m. will feature the talented duo of musicians Kenny Putnam and Boyd Bristow.