The drum group Two Birds sets the beat during the ASUW Winter Powwow this Saturday.

Too often, the world forgets that Native Americans are about much more than Indian gaming. Perhaps when you consider that the majority of images that people see are advertisements, signs and media reports on tribal gaming, it is understandable. But maybe it requires a special effort from tribes to be more inclusive and more outgoing when discussing their unique cultures.

Tribal traditions are cultural memories that extend across generations. The mission of today’s elders is often to teach the next generations what they learned from their ancestors. And those memories must be passed down from one generation to the next.

It’s not just history and language, it’s music, art, food, humor, sports, traditions, spirituality and more. Native American culture goes back thousands of years. Each succesive generation must teach, learn and share. Let’s make sure that American diversity always includes the culture of the first peoples who wandered this vast land.