Arts Education Showcase Directory

A program of The Kentucky Center (www.kentuckycenter.org) in partnership with Kentucky Educational Television (www.ket.org) and The Center for Rural Development (www.centertech.com).

Anthony Nava

Anthony Nava has worked in over 250 schools in the Kentuckiana area teaching children and adults alike about American Indian culture.

Main Art Form: Multi-Disciplinary
Other Art Forms: Dance, Music
Other Subjects: Social Studies
Grade Levels Served: Primary, Intermediate, Middle School, High School

Description

I have been working in the Kentuckiana area for 15 years. "Bridging the Gap of Diversity", is my goal to teach children and adults alike. In schools, I teach that "Native people are as diverse as the entire world." You would have to write a book on each tribe to describe each one. In my educational programs I teach a bit of each one. It is our responsibility to keep children's minds open to being diverse and creating an atmosphere to learn about culture. I feel to a degree that Native culture has been lost and I am helping to bring it back.

Program Goals

I teach the importance of Oral Traditions, Social Structure of our Peoples', Religious Aspects, Tribal Politics, Family Structure, Economics (trade system), Medicines, Foods (gathering, hunting and how the people prepared and cooked food), I explain the importance of Regalia, and demonstrate many types of dances. In music, I explain the many types of instruments and songs. I use rattles, flutes and drums, and teach the importance of why they were used in our traditions and culture in the past and why they are still used today.
Teaching diversity and native culture has been a great pleasure to me. But what is Diversity? What does it mean? How does a person act on it? In many cultures this is not a problem, but with native culture Americans today have a hard time understanding Native Americans. They believe that all Native Americans look the same, dress the same, use the same language, eat the same things or even share the same spirituality. This is not the case, and these stereotypes are what, in my program I try to dispel, this is to help bridge the gap for more understanding and sensitivity for Native people and the people of the world alike.

Pricing Info

$1.00 per child if over 275 children plus mileage. If over 275 children call for pricing.

Additional Information

Anthony Nava strives to bring authentic Native American culture with his program.