NAYA Family Center celebrates Native American Month

The Native American Youth and Family Center is holding its fifth annual dinner and auction fundraiser event on Friday, November 14, 2008 at the Portland Art Museum Kridel Grand Ballroom, 1119 SW Park Avenue. The event will include a one of a kind traditional Northwest Coastal dinner and the welcome opportunity to bid on valuable Native art work from all over the nation, including fine antique baskets, carving from a master artist, original paintings, prints and hand created jewelry in the silent and live auctions. At the event you can listen to internationally renowned vocal artist Meghan Meisters and have an entirely wonderful time.

The theme for this year’s event, “Housing for Our People, and a Home for NAYA” invites the Portland Community to recognize and honor the contributions that American Indians and Alaska Natives have made to developing Portland’s rich culture. Portland is home to over 38,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives, many of whom came to the area as a result of the U.S. Relocation Act of 1953 and the Federal Termination Act of 1954.

The Native American Youth and Family Center is the only community-driven culturally specific social service and community organization for the Portland Metropolitan area’s unique urban Indian population. NAYA Family Center began in 1974 as a parent driven, volunteer based grassroots agency committed to youth development and preservation of cultural traditions. The agency has since grown to provide services to the whole family, and served over 1,300 youth and 600 families last year. All proceeds from the dinner and auction benefit NAYA Family Center’s programming.

The event begins at 5:30 in the Fields Sunken Ballroom at the Portland Art Museum. Antique and contemporary art from nationally renowned Native artists will be featured in the auction, as well as Pendleton merchandise, overnight packages, an Alaskan fishing trip and hand crafted Native jewelry. The cost is $125 per plate or $1250 for a table of ten. RSVPs are required by October 24th, 2008, as space is limited.

For additional information, please contact Christine Dupres at 503-288-8177 x 240.

Please join NAYA Family Center staff, volunteers, friends, community partners and local politicians on Friday, November 14, 2008 at 5:30 pm at the Portland Art Museum in celebrating Native American Month and supporting the programming of the Native American Youth and Family Center.