GRIC was well represented at Native American Connections parade

October 21, 2016

Roberto A. Jackson

Gila River Indian News

What a day for a parade. For one and a half miles, 55 entries marched in Phoenix for the Native American Connections 34th Annual Parade under the theme, “Keeping Native Dances & Languages Alive.” The weather was clear and the mood was festive as Arizona’s Native American communities displayed their pride and diversity from Third Street and Oak, north of Downtown Phoenix, to Indian Steele Park on Saturday, Oct. 8.

The Gila River Indian Community was well represented with the Ira H. Hayes American Legion Post 84 leading way followed by Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis who, in his usual fashion, walked the length of the parade route.

Crowds cheered from the sidewalk for several other GRIC-related entries including St. Peter Indian Mission Catholic School Royalty, Achem A’al Indigenous Traditional Pima Basket Dancers, Tribal Image Car Club, Keli Akimel Hua Modk Cudkdam, the Chicken Scratch Battle of the Bands organization, Korean War Veteran Ruben Jenkins and the Gila River Fatherhood/Motherhood is Sacred group.

All together, the Community also placed very well when the awards were giving to the best entries.

Tribal Image Car Club won first place in the specialty category, Achem A’al won third place in the performance category, Gila River Basket dancers were an honorable mention in the performance category and Ruben Jenkins was an honorable mention in the specialty category.

The grand marshal consisted of members of student Native American clubs at the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.