Indigenous Culture Feted This Weekend

Native American culture and customs will be celebrated during the first annual People Facing the Sun Gathering and Pow-Wow, today and Sunday from 10 a.m. to sundown at O’Melveny Park, 17300 Sesnon Blvd. in Granada Hills.

Traditional food, arts and crafts, dancing and singing of the Navajo, Comanche, Kickapoo, Blackfoot, Hopi and Fernandeno/Tataviam tribes will be featured at the free event.

“The purpose of the powwow is to join together all the tribes in the area and to celebrate our Native American traditions and culture,” said Alicia Gonzalez, one of the event organizers. “Another big reason we’re doing it is to celebrate the existence of the Fernandeno/Tataviam tribe. The tribe’s been around for hundreds of years but a lot of people don’t know we exist.”

Aztec dancers, drum groups and artwork such as sand paintings, jewelry, wall hangings, pottery and leather goods will be highlighted during the powwow, Gonzalez said, and singers and dancers from all tribes are welcome to participate.