Abalone, the NACC online cultural center
Bev Ortiz of EBRPD and a beautiful elder in 2002
Julia Parker has offered her wisdom and humor at several NACC events over the years.
California Indian basketry is a NACC focus activity.ick here to add your text.
Events and performances are also a NACC focus activity.
A beautiful teacher showing folks how its done the right way.
NACC actively seeks ways to protect sacred sites in California.
NACC sponsors workshops for children and adults to learn California’s native art forms.
NACC co-sponsored Sherman Alexie and his star at the Frameline Film Festival 2002, part of Native Spring Festival. Alexie’s film,”The Business of Fancy Dancing,” won the Audience Favorite Award.
Mayor’s Office liaison Lawrence Ozoa at NACC’s Equinox 2000 event, which featured musical artists Keith Secola, Annie Humphreys, and Deborah Iyall (former punk princess of Romeo Void).
Lawrence Ozoa, Pamela Shields, Andrew Brother Elk: past and present Board members.
NACC collaborated with the Neighborhood Parks Council in 2001 on Native Art in neighborhood parks. (photos: click here).
NACC sponsored an informal film fest outside near Muwekma Ohlone Park in 2001.
Dance and songs are a focus support activity for NACC.
NACC is helping California Indian peoples to have a voice in the telling of California history, including the rarely told stories of ethnic cleansing, genocide, and extermination in California.
California history includes learning more about the lives of indigenous peoples who have inhabited the land for more than 10,000 years.
NACC seeks to restore California dance and regalia art forms.
NACC’s long range plan is to continue to work with City, state, and federal agencies to realize long-range plans for a permanent cultural center and gathering space.
NACC works with local schools on special outside class presentations.
Many “Native Spring” events are held outside to honor the Earth in ints renewal cycle.
NACC sponsored the Round Dance in 2001, a Creative Work Fund project led by artist Abena Songbird.
NACC actively supports California tribes and tribal cultural events.
MISSION
The mission of NACC is to support indigenous culture in its broadest sense, both for the benefit of indigenous people and the general public.
CONTACT
Michael Allen, Program Coordinator
email: mike_allen_nacc@yahoo.com
phone: 415-641-9466
PROGRAMS
NACC programs are divided into the following areas:
1. Indigenous Dance Program
This new and exciting program includes a professional dance company called Earth DanceTheater, and a street dance unit called Earth Dance Street. For more details and images, visit the section of this website called DANCE.
2. Public Programs
These public events raise awareness about indigenous cultural issues. Chief among these is our annual “Native Spring Festival,” which showcases the rich variety of Native cultural offerings in and around San Francisco in connection with the Earth’s renewal cycle. In the past several years, the “Native Spring Festival” has offered over 250 public programs. NACC also sponsors additional individual events throughout the year.
3. Special Projects
NACC collaborates with other organizations to commission or sponsor important new works of art, including performances, events, art shows, musical compositions, and visual art pieces. NACC’s partners include foundations, tribes, agencies, companies, broadcasters, and individuals.
4. Permanent Home Programs
NACC has a long-term need to obtain a permanent home for its activities. Several on-going activities support this need, including participation in local planning processes, liaison work with public agencies, and outreach for facilities funding. NACC has also developed a strategic plan for its permanent home.
5. Education
To meet the need for more awareness about indigenous cultures, NACC collaborates with local universities and local teachers to offer a wide variety of educational materials for students and teachers on Abalone, its online cultural center. All materials are downloadable, raise useful classroom questions, and relate to state American Indian curricular requirements for 3rd-4th grades, and history requirements for 8th-10th graders. New materials are added regularly. NACC also offers educational events, lectures, conferences, and classes that draw people to San Francisco’s rich indigenous cultural offerings.
6. Website
By far our most popular program, NACC sponsors Abalone, the online website that serves as our virtual cultural center. Abalone includes event listings for the Native Spring Festival, educational materials, art galleries, online literature by noted authors, and ways you can get involved with NACC.
HISTORY
NACC was first formed in 1964 as part of the broader civil rights movement for American Indians, which had its birth here in the Bay Area with the Alcatraz occupation. After a hiatus in the early 1990s, NACC was reestablished with a new mission in 1995 by a core group of members from the Indian Center of All Nations (ICAN). It was a leader in the fight to secure more equitable funding from the City of San Francisco for historically underrepresented cultural centers and community arts organizations. It helped secure the legislation crafting the Hotel Tax Fund line item for cultural centers and cultural equity programs in 1996. It was a leader in the public campaign for bond funds to improve and expand cultural centers in 1997. NACC helped form the Coalition for Community Cultural Centers, the organization that receives and reviews funding for San Francisco’s sponsored cultural centers. Among its past projects include collaborations with American Indian Contemporary Arts, the American Indian Film Festival, InkClan, SOMARTS, and other fine Bay Area organizations.
NACC is funded by grants from the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, the San Francisco Arts Commission, foundations, tribes, and individuals. We could use your support too! Contact us for details.
CONTACT
email us at: mike_allen_nacc@yahoo.com
phone us at: 415-641-9466
mail us at: PO Box 14408, San Francisco CA 94114
Artistic and Executive Director: Andrew Brother Elk
Program Coordinator: Michael Allen
Spoken Word Coordinators: Kim Shuck and Gabriel Duncan
PHOTO ARCHIVE:
for additional photos of Earth Dance Theater, click DANCE
Rock art and its preservation is a focus activity for NACC.
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom with NACC staff and supporters.
Earth Dance Theater: “Thunderstomp”
Poet Crystos at a Native Spring 2005 event
Community gathering 2005
Yipee-i-ayyyyy!
More Photos:Click Here
