Feather and Stone Gala
Saturday, October 4, 2008

Voices of Native America Programming

At the heart of the Autry is our abiding belief in convergence: the idea that we can best appreciate the American West by understanding the sometimes harmonious, sometimes discordant, interrelated stories of the region's diverse peoples.

The Autry has four key initiatives that guide the work of our curators, educators, programs staff, and the Institute when developing new exhibitions, publications, and outreach projects. The four strategic initiatives are:

• Whose West/The West as Crossroads: Explores how our vision of the West and the role of the Autry is reoriented when we see the West through the eyes of those for whom it was and is the north, the east, the south, or the center — when we view it not only as a frontier that ceased to exist, but also as an ongoing global crossroads.
• Voices of Native America: Engages Native American communities and Native ways of knowing in the overall life of the Autry, to share the histories, cultures and concerns of Indigenous peoples in their own voices.
• Western Resources: Examines the relationship between humans and the Western environment and what this relationship means and meant for Western identity, politics, society, and culture.
• Violence and Justice: Explores how the histories and myths of violence have shaped the American West and the American Nation.

This year's Feather and Stone Gala is held in conjunction with the Autry's Voices of Native America Initiative. Proceeds from the Feather and Stone Gala will provide critical funds for the development and implementation of the following Native American-related programs and projects at the Autry National Center:

• • Intertribal Arts Marketplace
• • Native Voices at the Autry
• • Culture Bearer Educational Program
• • Preservation of the Autry's Southwest Museum
     of the American Indian collection
• • Other future exhibitions, programs, and educational
     outreach projects

The Autry encourages everyone to join us for these outstanding cultural programs!

For more information, please call 323.667.2000.