Sponsored by Graton Rancheria, SiS is an intercultural and international remembrance project centered on historical education
Nearly 30 high school students from Native American households in Sonoma and Marin counties recently participated in a week-long overnight performance camp at Camp Cazadero. The site, which rests on 1,000 acres of open meadow and features groves of redwoods, madrones, firs and oak trees, is located near Santa Rosa in the hills north of the Russian River.
The camp is a combination of the Gathering of Native Americans (GONA) curriculum and Sound in the Silence (SiS). SiS is an intercultural and international remembrance project centered on historical education that engages young people through various artistic forms. The Camp is sponsored by Graton Rancheria.
Students spent the morning hours focused on GONA teachings. In the afternoons, they paired up with an artist to create a visual performance piece that would be shared with their peers on the camp’s last day. The six options they had to choose from included beatboxing, film, hip-hop/rap, movement, storytelling and singing.
“The Sound in the Silence program is very important and I am a huge advocate of this camp,” said Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Tribal Chairman, Greg Sarris. “It’s an essential component for Native American youth to build skills associated with performance art and movement, such as confidence, strength and personal identity.”
About the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria
The Graton Rancheria community is a federation of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo groups recognized as a tribe by the U.S. Congress. For more information, please visit www.gratonrancheria.com.