The 605 Unity JAM will be held at Wagner Lake in Wagner, South Dakota on Sunday, June 11 beginning at 12:00 noon. The purpose of the Unity JAM is to help bring people together for increased cultural awareness, understanding, appreciation and acceptance of others. Music, cultural demonstrations, dance, art and food will help make the event even more special for those who attend. The Unity Team is providing the opportunity for those in attendance at the Unity JAM to see cultural dance from two different cultures as part of the programming in the park.

Although it may be hard to believe, it is very possible that there are many who have lived in the community most of their life and have never attended the cultural celebrations of any other culture beyond their own. As a result, there is often very little understanding of what a simple dance or song is really all about. People may realize that there is a reason for the special clothing that is worn, the music that is played, the language that is sung or spoken and what the dance moves are about and at the same time no one takes the opportunity to ask questions or offer explanations so the ignorance about other’s culture remains. This lack of knowledge helps perpetuate ignorance and can help spur on unfounded fears that keep us apart.

The Unity Team wants to help the building of partnerships and interaction that will encourage more opportunities to work together to help build a greater sense of community. The Unity JAM will feature a youth Pow-Wow and will provide the opportunity for those in attendance to see what a pow-wow looks like. The Grand Entry is at 1:00 p.m.. There will also be an opportunity to be invited to join in the dance at various times during the presentation. At various times an explanation of what you are seeing will be given so you can become better informed. The Tabor Czech Dancers will also be joining the event and giving a demonstration of Czech cultural dress, dance and music by joining the programing . They will also provide information about the up coming Czech Days event. Their programing begins at 4:30 p.m..

If you are someone who has never seen or witnessed either of these cultural activities be certain to plan ahead so you can learn something new. The event is certain to be interesting and will bring new memories to all who choose to attend.