The Gathering will host Native leaders, speakers, educational exhibitors,
artists and storytellers. A Woodlands Peoples' "living history" group
will offer demonstrations of life skills and arts. Educational
exhibitors confirmed at this time include the Menominee Sustainable
Forest Project, Waianae Coast Community Alternative Development
Corporation, the Akwe:sasne Freedom School; other exhibits will be a
Native plants garden, renewable energy projects, and mining clean-up,
land use, and water monitoring projects in Montana. Native artists will
display works on the theme of "global change."
A special sunrise ceremony and ground blessing will be held on Friday
morning at sunrise. Beginning at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) a
three hour videoconference will be broadcast to schools, colleges, and
communities. Native Elders, scientists and scholars will hold a
roundtable discussion about traditional views and values and how they
may or may not apply in today's world of science, technology and business.
Panel participants will include Oren Lyons, Henrietta Mann, Lee Piper,
Crosslin Smith, Vine Deloria, Jr., Al Qoyawayma, Robert Yawakie, Dwight
Gourneau and George Godfrey. The panel will be moderated by Dan Wildcat,
Chair of the Department of Sciences and Social Sciences, Haskell Indian
Nations University. Other special guests will include Grace Thorpe,
Simon Ortiz, Puanani Burgess, Will Hill, and LaVonna Weller.
On Saturday, April 22, representatives from all across the country
will deliver Earth Day messages from their Nations. The Thunderbird
Theater Dance Group from Haskell University will perform modern dance
interpretations of Native stories. And singer/song-writer Joanne
Shenandoah will deliver a special musical message.
On Sunday, April 23, participants will give thanks to the Earth and all
her creations in celebration of our growing awareness and commitment to
safeguard the environment. The day will be open to singers and dancers
from the four directions. Host drum will be the Little River Singers.
The Gathering for the Earth is being sponsored by Project Earthlink, a
partnership of thirteen federal agencies under the auspices of the
Subcommittee on Global Change Research, of the National Science and
Technology Council. The mission of Project Earthlink is to raise public
awareness and knowledge of global change issues. The Gathering has been
designed and planned and will be managed by the American Indian Earth Day
Planning Committee, a group of Native Americans currently living in the
Washington DC area. The videoconference was designed in partnership with
Haskell Indian Nations University and Project Earthlink.
The satellite video conference will air free of charge from 1-4 p.m.
ET, Friday, April 21. The conference may be accessed and/or videotaped
on VHS for any or all of the 3 hours. Satellite downlinking can be
accessed on either KU- or C- Band. The satellite coordinates are:
KU-Band SB6 TRANSPONDER 13 HORIZONTAL 95 Degrees West RADIO 6.2-6.8
C-Band TELSTAR 302 TRANSPONDER 1 VERTICAL 85 Degrees West RADIO 6.2-6.8
Contact Linda Greczy: (202) 401-3806; fax (202) 401-3812.
American Indian artists wishing to lend a piece of art or print for
display should telephone Erma Brewer or Juanita Clifford at (703)
235-5866 between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays for instructions on how to
ship their artwork. Work should be on the theme of "global change,"
should be no larger than 24"x 30", and cannot be sold during the event.
Those wishing to present an educational exhibit should call Michelle
Dauphinais (202) 622-0984.
For other information, call Janet Lee Wright, Chair, American Indian
Earth Day Planning Committee, (202) 720-3434; fax (202) 720-3200;
email jwright@nalusda.gov