Native American storyteller visiting area schools

Local News

October 24, 2007

Community News

Native American story-teller Anthony Redfeather Nava is coming to the Lake Cumberland area this week for two separate school workshops followed by a program on music and dance at the next School Time Theatre performance.

Nava is scheduled to be at Nancy Elementary School in Pulaski County on Wednesday, Oct. 24, and Salem Elementary School in Russell County the following day for back-to-back school workshops.

He will close out the week on Friday with a program for area elementary students at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset for a School Time Theatre performance.

The latter will focus on Kentucky core content and expose students to music, dance and beliefs of traditional Native American culture.

As a flute player, dancer and performer, Nava travels the countryside telling his story in anticipation of bringing about a new understanding and appreciation for Native Americans and their culture.

“In schools, I teach that Native people are diverse. You could write a book on each tribe. In my educational programs, I teach a bit on each one. It is our responsibility to keep children’s minds open to being diverse and creating an atmosphere to learn about culture,” said Nava, whose objective is to break down stereotypes and Hollywood images most people have about Native Americans.

Nava said television and the movie industry have created false and misleading images, causing the majority of people to conclude all Native Americans look the same, dress the same, use the same language, eat the same things and share the same spirituality.

“This is not the case, and these stereotypes are what, in my program, I try to dispel,” he said.

Nava is from the Pascua Yaqui Nation of Arizona. He was born in Germany while his father, Everado Nava, was stationed in the military. His mother, Mary Nava Fraire, is from the Keetowah Band of Cherokee of Oklahoma. The family settled in Kentucky.

For more information on School Time Theatre or Nava’s scheduled appearances in the area, contact The Center for Rural Development at 606-677-6000 or visit the Web site at:

www.centertech.com

School Time Theatre is presented in partnership with Lake Cumberland Performing Arts in partnership with The Center for Rural Development.