HUNTINGTON BEACH : Awareness Day Fetes American Indians

Hundreds of American Indians and others gathered Sunday for an afternoon of dance, musical performances and craft displays at the American Indian Culture Awareness Day sponsored by Huntington Beach schools.

The festival, which brought American Indian performers from as far away as Fresno and Barstow, is part of the Indian Education Program of the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

Cultural awareness and pride were the main order of the day. Alma Rail, director the education program, said she hoped the program would help inform the district’s 1,000 or so Native American students of their culture’s traditions and encourage them to stay in school.

“Our goal is to assist students of Indian heritage and to keep them in school,” she said. “We have brought the drop-out rate down considerably. We do a very inclusive tutoring program, we provide job placement and we help them with higher education and goals.”

The estimated 400 visitors at Sunday’s festivities, held at the district’s education center on Yorktown Avenue, were treated to demonstrations of artisans weaving rugs, making flutes and drawing or painting pictures. There were also dances, musical performances, booths displaying jewelry and others selling traditional Indian foods.

Also in attendance was Marina High School basketball star Cherokee Parks, an all-American center who is half Cherokee.

“He’s one of the students in our program and he’s a real good role model, because he’s not only a good athlete but also a good student,” Rail said. “Good role models are very necessary for the students, so they can have someone they can fashion themselves after.”