CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - An opening ceremony at the Field Museum Wednesday kicked off a month of various events celebrating Native American Heritage Month.
The first event of the month featured Dave Spencer, the Oka Homma Singers and Native dance performers.
"With this first performance, we'd like to make sure to engage the cultural performers within the Chicago Native community to highlight that they are still here," said J. Kae Good Bear, the Field Museum's conservation cultural liaison .
"It's very impressive the way they do the dance and everything, and the clothes they have. I've never seen that before,” one visitor said.
Good Bear started the Native American Heritage Month celebration at the museum five years ago and said the festivities honor Native and Indigenous voices.
"It's important for us at The Field Museum, as the institution that has these particular collections, to recognize…We take so much from having those specific collections…It's important for us to, to give back to acknowledge…November is a really good space for us to do that,” Good Bear added.
Field Museum Collection Assistant Sam Frank said visitors can expect more music and dance performances, story times and even a chance to try indigenous cuisine.
"I think it's awesome opportunity for people to experience a culture that they might not have the opportunity to experience, especially with this idea of assimilation and erasure, but honestly, [it's] outstanding to have the opportunity to showcase that we're still around, we're still here, and we're still persisting,” Frank said.
Frank said you can also visit the Museum's exhibit centered on Native American and Indigenous stories called Native Truths: Our Voices, Our stories.
Listen to our new podcast Looped In: Chicago
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram