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JBSA News
NEWS | Nov. 18, 2015

National American Indian Heritage Month events fill November calendar

Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Activities focusing on the cultures of Native Americans were held throughout November as Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph observed National American Indian Heritage Month.

The JBSA-Randolph National American Indian Heritage Month Committee hosted several events at the JBSA-Randolph Youth Center, including a youth poster contest, an art contest, and doll making and cooking demonstrations. The committee also announced the winners of its annual scholarship essay contest.

Ed Blauvelt, JBSA-Randolph National American Indian Heritage Month Committee chairman, said the activities gave children and adults the opportunity to learn about Native American cultures and customs.

Blauvelt said entries in the poster, art and scholarship contests were based on this year’s theme, “Growing native leaders: Enhancing our seven generations.”

The theme is based on a Native American premise on how the actions of past generations of leaders are affecting us today and how the decisions leaders make today will affect children seven generations into the future, Blauvelt said.

The poster contest included entries submitted from eight- and nine-year-olds. Posters are on display at the youth center. Members of the JBSA-Randolph National American Indian Heritage Month Committee judged and picked the best three entries. Creators of the top three posters selected were awarded a Native American statuette.

The first place poster will be displayed at several JBSA-Randolph locations, including the library, dining hall, the Exchange and commissary and the Randolph Native American Facebook page.

Blauvelt said the art contest includes submissions from students at Randolph High School that are on display at the youth center. He said the committee picked the top three entries that will be posted on the Randolph Native American Facebook site and entered into the Texas 4-H club state art contest.

Other National American Indian Heritage Month activities held at JBSA-Randolph included storytelling sessions Nov. 10 at the youth center and Nov. 12 at the library, a demonstration by Airman 1st Class Weslynn Wooten on making corn husk dolls at the youth center and on Nov. 19, a cooking demonstration led by Blauvelt at the youth center in which children learned how two Native American foods, hoe mush cakes and fry bread, were made.

On Monday, the winners of the scholarship essay contest were honored at the Taj Mahal. Two area high school seniors were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship and a feather fan made by Blauvelt. The scholarship contest was open to area high school seniors whose parent or legal guardian is employed at JBSA-Randolph.

Activities conclude Saturday when Native American dancers take the stage at the 16th Annual Honoring the Veteran’s Pow Wow at the historic quadrangle at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is hosted by the United San Antonio Pow Wow Inc. The event is open to the general public and visitors for the event must enter through the Walters Street Gate and show identification.

There are 566 Native American and Alaska Native tribes that are recognized by the federal government and more than 100 tribes recognized in states across the U.S., according to Blauvelt.

“It’s the largest ethnic group in the military by population,” Blauvelt said.

According to the Department of Defense, as of March 2013 there were 152,897 veterans of Native American descent. Currently, there are 22,248 Native Americans serving in the armed forces, accounting for 1.7 percent of the military population.