Native American Heritage Month at Ware Center

Native American Heritage Month is in full swing at the Ware Centerfor the Arts.This November, the performing arts center is offering a diverse line-up of events.

"The powerful legacy of Native American heritage, culture and history runs deep in the Lancaster area and throughout this country. Before each of our events, our Land Acknowledgement honors the Native Americans who once lived on the land where the Ware Center sits, but our goal is to do more than simply pay tribute to the past," shares Cori Jackson, arts communication manager at the Ware Center for the Arts.

Located at 42 N. Prince St. in Lancaster, the Ware Center for the Arts is a hub for art and culture at the city's center. Throughout the year, the Ware Center is home to musical performances, art shows, concerts, lectures, films and more. Many of these performances are offered at no or a discounted cost to Millersville students.

On Nov. 5, the Ware Center presented Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane. A part of the On Screen/In person film and filmmaker series, Obomsawin and her band performed live alongside Sugarcane. The Academy Award-nominated National Geographic documentary, with a score composed by Obomsawin herself, follows an investigation into the Canadian Indian residential school system. A panel discussion with community members preceded the event, including Frank Vitale, Millersville University archivist and special collections librarian, and a Carlisle Indian School Digital Resource Center project partner.

As part of the We the People First Friday series, the Ware Center presents the Paza Experience. This event will take place on Friday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 p.m. The free event will feature a craft, performance and dance workshop.

Also during First Friday, the opening reception of Icons of the Diné exhibit will take place. Crafted by indigenous artist Jonathan Nelson, the exhibit features icons and logos in an effort to spark meaningful conversation and awareness of Indigenous communities. The reception is scheduled from 6 - 8 p.m in the Regitz Gallery.

"As we strive to reflect all voices and honor all cultures through the arts, we recognize the vital artistic contributions made by members of Native American communities today. Indigenous artists are making their mark on the modern artistic landscape of the U.S. in genres from film to soundscape art to graphic design, and our events this month highlight some of those incredible achievements, building bridges through the arts that foster understanding, empathy, and unity," shares Jackson.

"Now, more than ever, it is critical that we provide a platform to show that Native American artists are still here, still creating, and still a part of the great mosaic of humanity that makes up our world," Jackson adds.

Find more information about Ware Center of the Arts events here.