America may be a melting pot, but each of its component cultures has a flavor all its own.  November is American Indian Heritage Month, a celebration of the traditions and contributions of our country’s first inhabitants.  Young Audiences has a number of programs that can help in teaching the history and culture of America’s native peoples.  Choose from any of the following:

Gateway Performance Productions – “Illusions: Mask Theatre”
Welcome to the world of mask theatre where a masked dancer engages a student in a dance duet and hand-carved museum-quality masks create high drama in performances of Faces of the Moon and The Hawk.  Students learn about different cultures through Gateway's use of mask mime, classic mime, eccentric mime and clown.

Cathy Kaemmerlen – “Sacajawea Speaks”
The audience will use their imaginations along with costumes, props, visual aids to aid them through this 18 month expedition that covered 11 states and thousands of miles by land and sea.  Sacajawea invites the audience to sit on the "listening blankets" as she tells them stories about the adventure.

Barry Stewart Mann – “Peace Pipes and Talking Leaves”
Meet Sequoyah, Tsiyu Gansi-ni (Dragging Canoe) and Nanye-hi and learn about the traditions of the Cherokee people.  Students learn about ceremonies important to the seven clans of Cherokee society and participate in a simulation of Cherokee stickball.  

Piccadilly Puppets – “Cherokee Tales”
Explore some of the first stories told in America!  Students learn about the mythology and lifestyle of the Cherokee Nation through puppetry and a lot of audience participation.