We are looking for people in our area who feel great pride in their cultural heritage. We are looking for people who would feel it was a great honor to share that pride and information with others. We want people who understand the importance of sharing this information before it is lost to time and the generations that will follow. We are looking for people who understand the importance of sharing this information and want to be involved in helping make our community a better place to live. We want people who can appreciate the differences we all have so a sense of better understanding and appreciation can come out of that sharing experience. This is the goal of the “605 Unity J.A.M.” that is coming to Wagner in June.

We want to be able to provide the opportunity to share this cultural heritage and knowledge with others in a small and relaxed setting with about 15 people gathered around a table listening to someone share what they know. The presenter could be a single individual or even a couple people who are all working together to share this knowledge. We want the cultural topic to be very specific as the presentation will last only about 15-20 minutes and then give people the chance to ask questions. The topic could be about the the traditional language, which might teach those listening a greeting fraise or more. It could be about traditional music, dance or the kind of clothes or ceremonial dress that is part of the culture. The topic could be about the traditional food, cultural beliefs or art. We would encourage “show and tell”, “taste testing of food” or “hands on” presentations when possible. When the presentation is concluded, we want people to walk away having learned something of value or interest. We might want to repeat the presentation so others could join in on the next presentation and learn something new.

As you can see we are looking for people in our area that are proud of their past, their heritage, their culture and want to share it, not sell what they know. Could that person be you or someone you know? If so, please contact Dana Sanderson at 605-384-0804 or e-mail ( danasanderson51@gmail.com ), as soon as possible as we are putting our programing plan together for the event and want your information to be a part of our programming. When we share and learn, we begin to better understand, accept and appreciate each other’s differences. That helps make a “real” community better for everyone.