Stephanie Greenman Stone (415) 379-5121
sstone@calacademy.org

Pat Kilduff (415) 321-8125

The California Academy of Sciences
Celebrates Native American Heritage Month
With Special Programs in November

SAN FRANCISCO (October 1, 2004) - The California Academy of Sciences invites the public to join the festivities of Native American Heritage Month in November. All programs take place at the California Academy of Sciences at 875 Howard Street and are FREE with museum admission. For further information, call (415) 379-8000.

Wappo Ethnobotany
Saturday, November 6, 1 pm
For thousands of years, the Wappo Indians of Sonoma and Napa counties relied on plants for daily uses, such as food, medicines, basketry, shelter, clothing, musical instruments, and fishing nets. Wappo basketmaker Christine Gabaldo will bring a selection of California native plants to the Academy and discuss their traditional and contemporary uses, as well as demonstrate how to make rope from dried dogbane.

For a high resolution version of this image or others, email Stephanie at sstone@calacademy.org.

California Indians: A Way of Life
Thursday-Sunday, November 11-14, 10:30 am-4 pm
Explore cultural traditions of California Indians through an ongoing demonstration by world-renowned artists and educators Julia and Lucy Parker. Julia Parker, a noted Pomo basket weaver and a cultural interpreter with the Indian Cultural Program at Yosemite National Park, has had her work featured at the Smithsonian Institution and in the collection of the Queen of England. Julia's daughter, Lucy Parker, is a traditional artist known for crafting baskets, jewelry, and games, and still practices the traditions of her ancestors, the Yosemite Indians.

Celebrating Native American Traditions
Sunday, November 14, 10:30 am-4 pm
Academy visitors can enjoy a full day of activities focusing on the tribal and indigenous heritage of the Americas.

Hopi Silverwork
10:30 am-4 pm
Duane Tawahongva will demonstrate the overlay techniques of traditional Hopi Indian jewelry. Many of his designs, including clouds, waves, and prayer feathers, are inspired by petroglyph images found in the areas surrounding his village.

Pine Nut Bead Necklaces
10:30 am-4 pm
Join Renee Shahrokh and craft a pine nut bead necklace, made out of sanded and drilled pine nuts and shells. Learn what these necklaces symbolize and their importance to the American Indian community.

Yup'ik Eskimo Culture
11:30 am
Chuna McIntyre will present some of the NuNamta Yup'ik art forms and customs he learned from his grandmother while growing up in the village of Eek. Using music, stories, dances, and traditional clothing, he will share the beliefs and values of the Eskimo world.

Plains Indian Beadwork
1 pm
Kaiwie Fastwolf learned Kootenai beadworking skills from her husband's grandmother, she specializes in sewing small glass beads onto soft brain-tanned hides. In this program, Kaiwie will use the tack-down technique on buckskin, creating plateau-style designs.

Yaqui Indian Music
2 pm
In this presentation, Martin Espino will show pre-Hispanic musical instruments, handmade from natural materials, and demonstrate their unique sounds. He will invite visitors to join him in playing these instruments as he shares the sounds, language, and history of his culture.

Yaqui Indian Storytelling
3:30 pm
In his second program, Martin Espino will focus on the oral traditions of his Yaqui Indian heritage with a selection of stories and humorous anecdotes from the Sonora region of Mexico.

The California Academy of Sciences, including Steinhart Aquarium and the Natural History Museum, is open to the public at 875 Howard Street, Admission to the Academy at 875 Howard Street is: $7 for adults, $4.50 for youth ages 12 to 17, Seniors ages 65+ and students with valid ID, $2 for children ages four to 11 and children ages three and younger will be admitted free of charge. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. www.calacademy.org (415) 379-8000.

The California Academy of Sciences, the fourth largest natural history museum in the United States, is home to Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium and the Natural History Museum. The Academy is beginning an extensive rebuilding project in Golden Gate Park. Pritzker prize-winning architect Renzo Piano is designing the new Academy, which is expected to open in 2008.

# # # #