(By Angela Zimmerman)
Tuesday was Native American Heritage Night at the Park -- a great night to be at a game, really. Fans who bundled up against winds whipping off the Bay saw the Giants beat the Padres in the bottom of the 8th, thanks to rookie outfielder's Juan Perez tie-breaking single. But it was the pre-game spectacle steeped in hearty Native American tradition that made the night particularly memorable for many.
Native American Heritage Night, now in its second year, honors vibrant traditions through ceremonial music and dance and brings awareness to social programs in the region. Before the game commenced, early arrivals streaming in through the entrance at Lefty O'Doul's Plaza at 3rd Street caught a colorful display of Native American themed revelry. A 12-foot tipi and a sculpted metal bear stood in one corner, while people of all ages, most of them in head-to-toe black and orange, mingled with musicians, dancers, and performers in varying degrees of costume. A group of men beat on a leather drum and chanted while dancers in traditional attire, adorned with feathers, fringe, and percussive jangles, ceremoniously regaled onlookers. Due to the gusting winds, the pre-show at Lefty O'Doul’s was scaled back; event organizer Luke Lightning, of Buffalo Point First Nation, told me that if a feather falls out of a costume, tradition dictates that the performance stops. And there were plenty of feathers.
I had the chance to speak with Jacquie Van Huss, Executive Director of the Scotts Valley Tribal TANF, one of the organizations that received proceeds generated by sales of tickets allocated by the Giants to Native American night. Since 2008, Scotts Valley has provided assistance to Native American families in Contra Costa County, offering services such as job preparation, life skills training, and nutrition and parenting classes. Friendship House was the other recipient of proceeds. Established in 1963 as a church-sponsored drop-in center, Friendship House provides substance abuse treatment and promotes wellness within the Native American community here in San Francisco. Heritage Night ticket holders were able to pick up a black-and-orange commemorative t-shirt from the third floor of the stadium, where representatives from both organizations had tables with information.
Around 6:45pm, All Nations Intertribal Performers and Sonoma County Pomo Indians ascended from under the bleachers and out to the infield and performed for thousands, projected en masse via the jumbo-tron which offered a closer look at their detailed costuming, headdresses, and face paint. Colorful homemade signs emblazoned with the names of tribal affiliations were seen throughout the stadium as attendees proudly displayed their Native American roots.
MC Earl Neconie of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma offered an introduction to the crowd and six men sat circling a leather drum, chanting and providing percussion as the sidelines became enlivened by Native American women, men, and children who danced and delighted in the opportunity to be on Giants field, representing the richness of their heritage.
Check out the entire roster of special events at AT&T Park this year.
